Exiled
by Ms. Controversy
Summary: Fed up with their daughter's rich bitch cheerleader persona, the Ivanovs' send her off to Russia to live with her brother and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys as a means of boot camp.
1. Chapter One

**CHAPTER ONE**

Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, the blonde rolled her eyes at the Los Angeles traffic lights, "Turn green, bitch," Five whole seconds had gone by; how much longer was she expected to wait? When the cue was finally granted, she hit the gas pedal and after a turn here and a turn there, she was home. Leaving the Nissan Skyline in the driveway, she pulled all the shopping bags out of the vehicle. Chanel, Fendi, and Gucci were among some of the brands she had blew daddy's plastic on and only the great Lord above knew how much more she had spent and on what.

Trekking into the kitchen, she dumped the bags onto the counter and provided a brief smile to her parents who just so happened to be seated at the dining table, sipping away on their tea.

Placing her cup back on the saucer, Miranda Ivanov turned in her chair and glanced over at her daughter. Sighing, Hayden Ivanov did the same. The decision they had come to was a hard one but it was in their daughter's best interest.

"Dylan?" Hayden started.

Leaning over the counter and texting away on her iPhone, the blonde replied without bothering with any form of eye contact, "Yeah?"

"Your mother and I need to talk to you about something,"

"K," The seventeen year old nodded, "Hold on," She continued doing whatever it was she was doing on her phone before strolling over to the table and grabbing a seat, "What's up?"

"Can you put that down please?" Miranda fished for Dylan's attentiveness.

"...yeah," And after replying to the latest text, she finally put the phone down, crossing her arms over the table and smiling, "So what's up?" She repeated.

Mr. and Mrs. Ivanov both exchanged glances before Hayden begun, "First of all we want you to know how much we love you, pumpkin. You're our daughter, our _only_ daughter, and we'd do anything and everything for you,"

"Yeah, I know," But her attention was whisked away once again when the phone beside her lit up. As she picked it up, Miranda shook her head.

"Dylan, we're trying to talk to you so we'd appreciate it if you can just hold off from your phone for a few minutes,"

"Fine," The blonde rolled her eyes, "What?"

The red haired woman reached forward and held her daughter's hand, "We're worried about you, Dylan,"

"Why?" Came the flaxen haired girl's response, "It's not like I'm dying or anything,"

"Of course not," Hayden cut in, "We're worried about the way you treat people; sometimes it's very degrading. We're also worried about your spending habits; you think money grows on trees. Your school too; your math and English teacher informed us that you're failing the two courses. We're worried about your future,"

"Ugh, dad," Dylan exhaled out loudly, "500 bucks and I'll get a passing grade, no problem. And technically money does grow on trees. Bills are paper and paper comes from trees. And I don't treat people degradingly or whatever; it's just that stupid people get on my nerves,"

Mrs. Ivanov stared at her daughter before laughing. Not a genuine laugh. It was a laugh that expressed that she'd had enough and that she and her husband probably should have done something way before instead of waiting this long. Not only did Dylan think money blossomed out of trees, but she also thought money would buy her everything. At least when their son was Dylan's age, Tala had learned to stand up on his two feet and become independent. But their daughter...

It was so sad to watch. They'd spoiled her rotten to the core. She got everything she wanted and then some. But she needed to know money wasn't going to buy her _everything_, most things, yes, but not _everything_, and she wasn't always going to get every single thing she wanted. She needed to understand the value of money and the importance of education.

Hayden situated a tan coloured envelope on the glass table and let the contents drop on the surface, "This is your passport and this is a one way ticket to Russia. Pack your things, you're leaving tomorrow evening. You'll be staying with Tala and the rest of his team until we feel you've learned something."

**x x x**

Storming down the Russian airport with several luggages, Dylan tried to spot the exit, "Fucking airport," She cursed before coming to a stop to scan her surroundings. There were millions of people around her, all of them babbling the foreign language. It was beginning to irritate her for when you didn't understand a language, it sounded much like _noise_.

Very annoying noise.

Exasperated, she approached a random man, "Excuse me, how do I get out?"

"Get...out?" The man wrinkled his nose. He had quite the accent, a very thick European one.

"Yeah, like, out of the airport, like to the streets and stuff,"

He pointed in a direction, "That a-way, you go that a-way,"

"Thanks," She displayed appreciation with a quick smile before strolling towards the glass doors. She was greeted with the _coldest_ burst of wind once she stepped outside, definitely not something she was used to. She was dressed appropriately of course, a baby pink toque with two braided pigtails on either side were used as ear savers, a black pea coat that was supposed to keep her warm wasn't doing its job very well, grey UGG boots were already starting to soak from the slush, and mittens that were meant to prevent frostbites did absolutely nothing as her fingers turned numb.

Taxis and other vehicles filled the area. She was told her brother was going to pick her up but she didn't completely understand the logic behind trying to pinpoint a single person out of the massive place. Reaching into her pockets and pulling out her iPhone, she searched through her phonebook and once she came across the name _Asshole_, she hit the dial button. After a few rings, the line was connected...but not the connection she expected: "The service for this mobile has been suspended. To reactive the line, please call your service provider. Thank you."

Turquoise eyes widened as she brought the phone down after having heard the automated message; her parents had cut her phone line? What in blue hell? Did they _want_ her to get lost? How was she expected to find Tala in the _biggest _country in the world without any sort of communication device? She felt so naked without her most prized possession, her lifeline! Fuming, she shoved the phone back into her coat pocket and proceeded down the walkway.

How could her parents do this to her? Didn't they care about her? Didn't they love her? Did they _hate_ her? Too tied up in her thoughts, she missed the fact that she was on a direct collision course with another person resulting in a mildly painful hit. Taking a step back and brushing herself off, Dylan let out a noise of frustration. As the indigo haired boy narrowed his ruby eyes at her, she only rolled hers' before taking off.

"Hey! Wait!" The boy caught up with her, "Wait,"

The blonde looked over her shoulder, "I don't have money, I don't have drugs, and no I'm not interested in AIDS,"

"Dylan Ivanov?" He grabbed one of her luggage tags and examined them, "You are," He concluded, "I'm Ian,"

"So?"

"So, if you stop being a stuck up bitch then I can take you to Tala and we can all go home," As he waited for some sort of response, he studied her. In all honesty, with a name like Dylan he pictured a tomboy with sweats and guy shoes. But that most certainly wasn't the case; she was tall, blonde, and skinny. Her femininity was obvious with vibrant golden hair, straight and ending a couple of inches past her shoulders in some layers. She had Kool-Aid blue eyes identical to that of her brother's except hers' were outlined with a little slate liner and mascara. A touch of pink lip gloss was evident but other than that, she didn't have much else on. She didn't _need_ anything else.

She was good looking, in fact, she was insanely gorgeous. And that was probably why Tala never showed them a picture of her and didn't bother talking about her much in front of them either.

Finally, she exhaled out loudly and rolled her eyes. Getting the hint, he began walking and she followed until he led her to a black Toyota Supra. She gave him a strange look before peeking inside through the windows, "This is your ride?"

"Not classy enough for you?" Ian watched the girl stare the car down, walking behind it and touching the spoilers with what appeared to be hints of fascination and uncertainty. It was when her mitten clad fingers trailed to the rims she realized that someone had been standing behind her.

Standing up and whirling around, she came face to face with the missing Ivanov. He hadn't changed much since the last time she saw him a couple of years back. She hadn't kept up with his beyblading and didn't bother watching his battles on television. Her parents, on the other hand, were probably Tala's biggest fans, watching, recording, and even replaying all his matches religiously. Sometimes they'd take time off work just to visit the country, where the tournament was being held to see him in action. She never did though; she could care less.

He smirked finally and eyed her hand on the car, "See, see, no touch,"

She crossed her arms and a bitchy smile tugged at her lips, "I don't touch shit,"

He patted her on the head, just to let her know who was boss here. After all, he was her senior by two years, "Dylan, this is Bryan, Spencer, and that's Kai," They were pointed out respectively.

"Hi," She raised a hand, "Bags are over there,"

Bryan was quick to make a face and Spencer only cocked a brow while Kai made his way into the passenger seat, not wanting to deal with the imported imbecile.

"No," Tala shook his head, "These are my teammates, not servants,"

The blonde appeared to be confused, "Then who's gonna put my bags in the car?"

"You are," And with that, the trunk was popped open.

The car ride to the Blitzkrieg Boys' residence was expected to take a while, a good hour and a half to be exact. And it wasn't going to be the most comfortable ride of Dylan's life either with four people squished into the backseat. The _only_ good thing about it was the view she had by looking at the side mirror. Wispy blue hair in two colours, eyes the colour of amethyst, and a slightly bad boy vibe – he was a fast climber to number one on her Top 10 list.

"So how was your flight?" The redhead had asked as he turned down the music.

"Stupid,"

"How's mom and dad?"

"Stupid,"

"How are you?"

"Tired, cold, and frikkin' hungry," The blonde shifted in her seat as best as she could. Why the hell did these guys have to be so big? They were like fucking mammoths. Nonetheless, she looked out the window surprised by what Moscow looked like, "I thought this place was supposed to be like a big chunk of ice or something?" Bryan cast the blonde an offensive look and Spencer sneered at the American, "There's like actual buildings and stuff here," She added salt to an open wound. Luckily for them, no more stupid comments were made and before they knew it, they were home.

As everyone exited the vehicle, Dylan made a face, "Um, hello? Like who's gonna help with taking my stuff inside?"

"Good question," Tala seemed evidently concerned, "Who's stuff is it again?"

"Obviously it's mine, retard,"

"Oh okay," He nodded, "Is it really heavy?"

"Not _that_ heavy,"

"Great. I'll see you inside,"

The blonde scrunched up her face, "What do you mean?"

The redhead chuckled in sheer mock, "What I mean is this isn't L.A., you're not a princess, and no one's gonna do stuff for you. Get used to it, Dill Pickle," While everyone disappeared into the snow covered two-storey house, 'Dill Pickle' stood there, her mouth hanging open in utter disbelief. Apart from the insane climate, _this_ kinda of treatment was something she wasn't accustomed to.

**Yes this story is loosely based off the MTV show **_**Exiled**_**. And myself. For more info on this fic, please see the Note in my profile.**

**And if you've read the story, you know what to do: hit that review button. Don't just sit there like a hobo. **


	2. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

The house was similar to an American one. Two floors, bedrooms upstairs, living room and kitchen on the main floor, and then there was the creepy basement.

A complete bitch fit was thrown when Dylan was told she'd be sharing a room with her brother. After uncountable profanities, she settled in to her _side_ of the room. At least he said she could personalize it, so she did. She wasn't too big on posters though. Candid photos of her friends, tickets of various kinds, pictures of ridiculously good looking half naked men, and other memoirs were more her thing; she'd stuck a couple on a pink bulletin. A few stuffed animals on her bed, a small number of colourful cushions, and a plush blanket striped in all shades of pink marked the end of her 'renovation' for today.

With a plate of chicken wings, Tala walked into the room and nearly choked on his next bite, "Personalize, not feminize!"

Rolling her eyes, she ignored him and lay on her bed and looked around the room. It was an average size bedroom meant for one person, thus, with her sharing it was mildly crowded. And she didn't even want to think about how she was supposed to get any sleep on her new bed; it was tiny, perhaps a single. What if she fell off and died? Didn't her parents care?

"Is this Mallory?"

Dylan looked over her shoulder and realized he was looking at some of the pictures, "She's not interested,"

Grabbing a seat on the edge of her bed, Tala narrowed his eyes at her, "That's not what I meant. I was just asking,"

"And I'm just saying. She wants a big strong guy who's pleasing to the eyes," She then tauntingly looked him up and down, "Not a seriously unfortunate looking no life-er with really weird red hair who pretends to be Russian,"

The older sibling sent his sister a glare and took a bite out of a wing, "I don't pretend to be Russian. I'm just a citizen of this country because I've been here for a long time. They," He referred to his teammates, "know I'm from L.A.,"

But her reaching for her iPod and sticking the ear buds in told him she liked her 'story' better and didn't necessarily give a rat's ass about what he had to say. Sighing, he got up and flicked off one of the earphones, "Don't fall asleep. Bryan's making dinner," Having said that, he left the room and headed downstairs. As expected, the lilac haired blader was chopping up vegetables while Ian, Spencer and Kai lounged around the dining table playing cards.

"What else was she surprised about?" Spencer scoffed as he placed a card in the pile, "That Russians use latex condoms to fuck bitches just like Americans do?"

"She's never been out of California," Tala stood behind Kai and pointed out one of the cards, "My parents sent her here so she can learn to be more responsible,"

"What she needs is to be sent to the fucking Abbey," Spencer retorted with a laugh, "Boris would straighten her out in a second,"

Dinner was ready after a while and when the blonde was called downstairs, she slumped into her seat with her feet up, waiting for her meal. But it was when Bryan dumped the red contents into her plate that she wrinkled her nose, "What..." She spooned the chunky liquid and let it fall back in the bowl, "...the fuck."

Taking his first taster, Ian smirked, "You've never had borshch before?"

"What the hell is borshch? It sounds like barf in a different language," She eyed the bowl in disgust, "Honestly, I will like die,"

"Dylan, just eat," Tala instructed. Instead of obeying, he watched as she stirred her spoon around in utter revulsion.

"It looks like a bulimic girl choked herself with a toothbrush and threw up in the bowl and just put it on the table for us to eat," Immediately from across the table, the clank of cutlery hitting the table was heard as well as the screech of a chair as Kai got up and left the dinner table. Spencer narrowed his eyes at the girl and pushed his meal away, having lost his appetite much like his slate haired teammate, "It looks like blood," She commented again.

Settling down, Bryan sighed, "It's red because it's made with beetroots. It's very healthy,"

She didn't look too convinced. With an elbow on the table and her head resting in her palm and the other hand poking at her food, she resembled a picky child not wanting to eat his or her spinach, "Why can't I have normal food?"

"This is normal food in Russia," The mature Bryan continued, "Try it, you might like it,"

"Uh..." The blonde finally let go of her spoon, "I don't think so," She shifted her gaze to her brother, "I want pasta,"

"No,"

"What do you mean 'no'? I don't wanna eat this,"

"Then don't,"

"Then what am I gonna have for dinner, retard?"

"Your dinner is right in front of you. If you have a problem with it then you can throw it out and get ready for bed. You have school tomorrow,"

Dylan furrowed her brows, "So I'm expected to like _fly_ to L.A. every single morning for school?"

"Are you dumb?" Tala spared the blonde a glance before continuing with his meal, "You're transferred out of Harbour. Mom and dad sent me your transcripts; I registered you into another school here,"

Her instant reaction was putting her feet down and leaning over the table, "I'm not finishing high school at Harbour?"

"You're finishing your last semester here," He detailed, "You're _living_ here, Dylan. You're not on vacation,"

Her jaw dropped, "What about prom? What about the cheer team? I was captain! They're gonna lose regionals without me! Harbour had the spirit stick for seven years! I can't believe mom and dad would do this to me! I need a lawyer! This is illegal!"

Tala shook his head, "It's not illegal. Until you're eighteen, they can do whatever they want,"

"I'm not going to school,"

"Are you an idiot? You have to finish high school,"

"Either I go to Harbour or I'm not going to school,"

"Either you go to the school I put you in or you're never getting out of Russia,"

"What do you mean I'm never getting out of Russia? I can leave whenever I want. All I have to do is book a flight,"

"Where are you gonna get the money?"

"I don't _get_ money, I _have_ money,"

Finishing the lasts of his dinner, Tala deposited his bowl in the sink, "You sure about that?" He wiped his hands on a paper towel before returning to his seat, Ian's laptop in his hands. After the strokes of a few keys, he moved the screen towards the blonde, "This is your MasterCard account," He pointed to one corner of the display, "Your balance is $8, 537," He scrolled further down the page, "And that," He chuckled, "is that status of your card,"

And there, above the tip of her brother's finger in big, ugly, bold, red capital letters was the standing of her account: _RESTRICTED._

Closure was given when the redhead closed the lid on the portable computer, "Dad froze your credit card, you sure as hell don't have any cash, and you don't work," He laid it out for her, "You're broke as fuck. But that's okay, you can make money," He pulled out a wad of bills from his wallet, "For every week you go to school, you get ten bucks,"

She pushed away from her chair in preparation to leave, "Yeah, that's not happening."

**x x x**

Actually, it was happening. It was only her second day in the unfamiliar country and it was only 8-something in the morning and there she was, sitting on the living room couches dressed in her school uniform. She was less than pleased with the entire situation, especially the ugly attire which consisted of grey dress pants and a navy full sleeve with the school's emblem off to the side. She felt understandably unfeminine in the unisex outfit. She had the option of a plaid miniskirt but honestly, who in their right mind would wear a miniskirt in _this_ weather? That was like asking for frostbite up your legs and in your privates.

"Did you have breakfast?" Tala asked as he came down the stairs.

"I'm not hungry," That was a lie. No dinner from the night before and not even a bit of food today, she was starving. But she was too mad to eat. First her cell phone, then the money situation, and now this. She felt something fall into her lap all of a sudden. Looking down, she discovered an apple. Angrily she flicked the fruit away from her sending it to the corner of the sofa, "I said I'm not hungry,"

"Okay," He put on his jacket and picked up his car keys; he was going to drop her off to school, "What'd you pack for lunch, Dill Pickle?"

"What lunch?"

"Didn't you make your lunch?"

As tired as she was, she managed to give him an irritated look, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your lunch. What are you gonna eat?"

"I don't know," She shrugged her shoulders, "Give me a sandwich. I like it cut diagonally. Oh, and no crusts,"

"You think _I'm_ gonna make it for you?" He let out his signature sarcastic laugh, "No, no, no," He walked towards the front door and as he opened it, he let in the cold wind, instantly making the girl throw on her jacket, "I'm gonna go start the car so you have five minutes to make lunch. Use whatever's in the fridge,"

Yeah right, like she was going to make her own lunch. What a ridiculous thing to do, making your own lunch. Pssh. Sometime later she found herself in the Toyota being driven through a couple of neighbourhoods before the car came to a stop in front of a boring looking building. Her new school, she presumed. The grounds were filled with students..._only_ Russian students. Of course there were a few exceptions as she spotted some Asians, blacks, Indians, but she expected a larger variety.

"Shouldn't there be more people from all over the world?" She enquired as she pulled on her mittens.

"Why?"

"Well it's an international school,"

Tala gave the blonde a funny look, "Who told you it's an international school?"

"What do you mean?"

"Stop asking me what I mean every time I say something. You know exactly what I mean,"

"No, I don't know _exactly _what you mean since I'm American and don't speak the language that they speak here. Why would you put me in a Russian school?"

"You'll survive," He waived off, "Anyways, you should go before the bell rings,"

"Where do I even go? Like to the office? Do they even _have _offices in Russia? Aren't you coming with me?"

"Why do I have to go with you? You're old enough to find your way around a _school_."

Frustrated with her brother's behaviour, she got out of the car without another word and just to get him back, she didn't bother shutting the door; he could do it himself. She walked across the snowy field, earning a couple of looks from the other students. It was as if they could tell she wasn't from around here and it was beginning to get on her nerves.

She entered the building using a random door; she figured the office must have been on the main floor and it was. Communication was by far the most difficult task but surprisingly enough, all it took was the declaration of her last name to receive, not necessarily special treatment, but a little more attention and extra care.

"You have brother, right?" The secretary had asked, "From the team? Blitzkrieg Boys?"

In all honesty, she didn't really know her brother's team name. It started with something called the Demolishers...or something. She was aware of a name change; she just didn't know what it was. Nonetheless, the lady seemed pretty sure, so she nodded. The secretary went on for a while, telling her completely useless facts such as how her daughter thought her brother was cute.

A copy of her schedule was printed out. She had the same courses as she did in Harbour – English, calculus, some essay writing course, and a royally retarded subject about families and relationships. The only difference was they were all going to be taught in Russian. Well except of course for English. She was already failing two courses so how she was meant to pass all four in a completely different dialect was beyond her.

**x x x**

Avoiding the snow banks, Tala pulled into the relatively empty school parking lot. He spotted his sister by the doors, her cheeks and nose a bright pink. She stomped towards the car and grabbed a seat inside, her arms folded over her chest in a familiar gesture.

"How was school?" He drove out of the property and into the main roads. Hearing no reply, he looked over at her for a brief second, "I asked you a question,"

"School was done fucking ten minutes ago,"

"Language, Dill Pickle,"

She raised a challenging brow at him, "Fuck, fuck, fuck,"

Tala gave the blonde a pathetic look before concentrating on the roads, "That all you got?"

"Dick, motherfucker, shit, asshole, cock sucking son of a bitch, bastard, jackass,"

"Better," The redhead stopped at the traffic lights, "But you forgot cunt. So did you make any friends?"

"Um, hello? Cheerleading captain here," She pointed at herself before rolling her eyes and leaning her head against the window.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm not about to befriend freaks like you who eat blood for dinner,"

"_Borshch_,"

"Whatevs," The rest of the ride was relatively silent and it was only when he parked the car in their driveway that she'd piped up again, "Who's Beamer is that?" She motioned to the silver BMW parked ahead of them as she exited the Toyota.

"Kai's," The redhead replied, "Something's up with it though," He followed the blonde towards the front of their house, "It's stalling in every gear except park,"

"Aren't there mechanic guys in Russia?"

Tala rolled his eyes, "Obviously there are mechanics in Russia, you idiot. But he doesn't wanna take it to a garage; he wants to see if he can fix it himself first,"

"Oh," Dylan spared the out of commission vehicle one last glance before heading into the house. She was about to run upstairs when she felt her brother yank her back by her school bag.

"Shoes,"

Muttering something under her breath, she kicked off her UGGs. She was interrupted once more when she tried to go upstairs, this time by a five dollar bill dangling in front of her. She cocked a brow at the redhead, "What's this for?"

"For listening to me,"

"Cool," She accepted the fund and as she proceeded to stuff it into her Burberry wallet, Ian slid down the stair railings, nodding his head towards the blonde in acknowledgment before turning to the redhead.

"Julia called you,"

"What she say?"

"She's trying to call dibs on this place just like everyone else,"

Dylan eyed the indigo haired blader, "Who the hell is Julia?"

"Just some girl," The redhead said nonchalantly, "From another team,"

"Just some girl as in you're going out with her?" Dylan tried to clarify for herself.

"Just some girl as in none of your business," The older sibling attempted to dismiss the subject.

"Oooh, I get it," The blonde smirked, "Just some girl as in you wanna..." She rocked back and forth a little in a subliminal gesture.

Tala frowned, "Don't do that,"

Dylan chuckled, "But this Julia's not interested," She concluded as she trudged her backpack up the stairs, "Smart girl,"

Like the day before, dinner was catered by Bryan, this time with a little help from Spencer and Kai. As he swept the floor, the lilac haired nineteen year old made note of the team captain's sister stepping into the kitchen, a glass of orange juice in her hands.

"How was first day of school?" Bryan enquired.

"Lame," She leaned against the counter beside the slate haired blader who was cutting up some parsley, eyeing him intently.

It was when the staring ticked him off that he finally spoke up, "Can I help you?" His tone wasn't polite. Being nice about the situation was never his intention anyway. In fact, what he said could have just as easily been translated to 'fuck off'.

The blonde continued to ogle the older boy, "No, not really," She took a sip of her drink, "You just have really sexy arms,"

Fake sweeping, Bryan held his breath in an attempt to stifle a chuckle while Spencer looked on the scenario from the corner of his eyes in an amused fashion. It was no secret that other than their team captain, Kai was extremely popular among women. Fans screaming his name, G-strings being thrown at his face, and gay guys wanting to gang bang him and use him in a porno were all common, something Kai was used to. But being straight up hit on was probably a different story and caught him slightly off guard. To offset it, he chose to ignore the girl head on.

"Anyways," Dylan retreated from the counter, "It was really nice checking you out,"

It was after she'd left Bryan let out his laugh, "Holy shit,"

Pausing his meat mincing, Spencer looked over at Kai, "That's a fucking booty call right there,"

Shoving the chopped parsley aside, Kai grabbed some lettuce while paying no heed to his teammate. Everyone rejoined at the round kitchen table when dinner was finally done being made. As expected, Dylan's face lit up at the meal as she grabbed her fork and looked at Bryan, "Spaghetti? Really?"

He nodded, "To make you feel more at home," And as the blonde dug into her meal, she failed to notice Tala and Bryan exchanging glances, the redhead discreetly shaking his head at his teammate as if to tell him to never do this again. Confused, the older blader shrugged it off.

"So like," Dylan started as she twirled the pasta around her fork, "can we go out after dinner or something?"

"Are you stupid? You have school tomorrow," The redhead shot down the idea, "And didn't you get homework?"

"How should I know?"

"Homework right now or no dinner," Scowling, Tala pulled the blonde's dinner plate away but she just as easily pulled her plate back. Immediately, the redhead ditched that method of control and came up with something else, "Don't you wanna make money?" He pulled a five from his pocket.

"I want ice cream,"

"No, it's this," He referred to the money, "Or nothing,"

"Make it fifty,"

"Dylan..."

"Tala..." The blonde mimicked in ridicule.

As much as the redhead wanted to climb over the table and strangle his sister to her death and then let Wolborg eat at her body, he kept his cool. "No," He stated plainly, "And hurry up, you and I are on dishwashing duty tonight,"

"Like that's happening,"

"You bet your ass its happening,"

She slurped her last string of spaghetti and got up, "You bet your little incompetent wang its happening,"

Appalled, the redhead turned around in his chair as the blonde began leaving, "Dylan!" But as she defiantly continued up the stairs, he followed her, "You have to listen to me!"

The only reply he got out of that was _his_ bedroom door slamming shut on his face.

**Thank you to the following people who reviewed:**

**Phoenixfyre101**

**Zeratheliger – **I think the pairing was kinda obvious in this chapter! :P

**StunningGhost**

**AquilaTempestas**

**sasukechica – **I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know what eloquent means :| LOL

**.Out**

**Peroxxide Priincess**


	3. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**

Walking into the room for the _third_ time within the last ten minutes, Tala was understandably fed up. He tugged at the blonde's leg, "Wake the fuck up, you have school. I'm not giving you a ride if you're late,"

She mumbled something that sounded very much like 'not going to school today', essentially snapping the redhead's last nerve. Blanket and all, he lifted her off the bed and strolled down the stairs. Reaching the front door, he dumped her into snow covered front yard and before she had the chance to register what had just happened, he swiftly walked back indoors and locked the door.

The banging on the door began almost immediately, so did endless profanity. Pulling the curtains aside, he peered through the window, "Are you gonna listen to me or no?"

"Open the fucking door you fucking piece of fucking bird shit!"

"Language,"

"Screw language!"

"Today you're gonna make your own lunch and go to school. Then you're gonna go grocery shopping,"

"Open the door! I'm fucking cold! This isn't funny!" Barefoot with her toes curled and dressed in a pair of tiny pink shorts and a white tank top, it really wasn't comical. She angrily kicked the door, "Tala!"

Yes, it was cruel punishment and truth be told, it was one he learned from Boris, but she deserved it. Unlike that bastard, however, he wasn't planning to keep her out there for more than two minutes. Nonetheless, her thumping on the door and yelling had woken the rest of the team up and they'd all made their way downstairs.

"Ivanov, what the hell are you doing?" Bryan furrowed his eyebrows at his team captain before unlocking the door, letting in the angry Californian.

Ian threw a hoodie over the blonde and looked over at the redhead, "It's thirty below zero outside, man. Are you crazy?"

"She has to listen to me,"

Dylan displayed her signature bitch grin, "You bribed me with money, you yelled at me, you kicked me out of the house and I'm _still_ not listening to you so whatever else you plan to do Tala, all I can say is bring it, bitch,"

And that's exactly what Tala planned to do: break down that bulletproof wall she had set up for herself that no one else, not even her parents, had been able to take down. He was going to use grenades and those nonexistent WMDs and anything and everything he needed to let Dylan know who was boss around here.

He wasn't going to let her dominate him like she did with everyone else.

He wasn't going to give her what she wanted.

He wasn't going to tolerate her bullshit.

Chuckling, he patted her over the head, "Get ready for school, Dill Pickle."

**x x x**

Bowl of noodles in hand, Kai walked out of the kitchen only to be surprised by a large vault situated in the middle of the living room. It was rectangular and transparent, perhaps made of plastic or glass; he couldn't tell. Spotting Tala coming down the stairs with a handful of Dylan's things, the slate haired blader raised a brow but didn't bother asking. Instead he watched as the redhead deposited a laptop, an iPod, an iPhone, several pairs of sky high designer heels, some clothes even, and a couple of purses into the cell.

He went upstairs again and returned with even more of his sister's belongings, tossing them all in before closing the lid on the top and locking it with a series of different types of locks.

It was at this point Kai finally felt compelled to enquire, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Grounding my sister," He grabbed a nearby baseball bat, "Check this out," He whacked the vault several times and when nothing had happened, he smirked and looked over at Kai, "Bulletproof glass,"

"I wasn't aware Capital Barbie owned a gun," Came the sarcastic comment before the owner of Dranzer slumped into the couches and reached for the TV remote. As he began flipping the channels, he felt the redhead grab a seat beside him.

"Julia keeps calling," Although Kai hadn't said anything, Tala knew he was listening, "She wants to stay here with the rest of F-Dynasty during the tournament," For obvious reasons, his companion didn't seem surprised, "But I know Tyson asked you if him and his team could stay here too. What'd you tell him?"

"I haven't replied to his e-mail,"

"You know if he stays here, Hilary will too,"

"Hn,"

"I don't think I want Julia here with Dylan around," The redhead sighed as he leaned into the couch, "So if you want Tyson and them staying over, they can,"

"And have the fridge emptied out?" Kai sneered.

"Don't you want Hilary around? It'll give you a chance to talk to her and shit," Turning to the phoenix, he grinned, "Maybe even take things to the bedroom," He laughed when the slate haired teen only rolled his eyes, "So what's up with the Beamer?"

"I'll get it fixed,"

"Kai, you've been trying for three weeks. Just take the goddamn thing for repair," The redhead grabbed his keys off the coffee table, "Anyways, I gotta go pick up the retard," Once on the school property, he found her waiting in the same place as the day before, "Belt," He reminded once she'd gotten inside. Rolling her eyes, she pulled on the strap and buckled in, "How was school? Did you learn anything?"

She shrugged her shoulders slightly and rested her elbow by the window, one finger placed over her lip lazily. When she noticed him taking a completely different route, she made a face, "Aren't we going home?"

"I told you we're going grocery shopping today,"

"I don't wanna go,"

"You have to,"

"Drop me off at home first, I'm tired,"

"We won't take long,"

"And I don't wanna go anywhere wearing this stupid thing," She referred to her uniform.

"You look fine,"

"I look like you,"

Tala gave the blonde a disapproving look at her nonsensical statement before turning into the local grocery store. Having his sister around was pretty much useless; all she did was follow him around, biting her nails every so often and waiting around when he picked stuff out from the produce section. "Do you know how to pick out oranges?" She granted him a lame look before picking up the fruit and tossing it into the plastic bag he was holding, only to have him roll his eyes. "This one's gonna be sour,"

"Okay, person who can see inside a fucking orange and taste it without actually tasting it,"

"Shut up and learn," He put the one she had picked out back in the pile, "Find the one that looks most orange,"

"Um hello? They're _oranges_,"

"Pick the one darkest in colour,"

"That's so fucking racist,"

"Dylan!"

"This one," She grabbed a fruit.

"Squeeze it,"

She eyed the orange before holding it a mere millimetre away from his face, "_You_ squeeze it if you're that horny,"

"What? No! I'm not being sexual! Stop thinking dirty!" He snatched the produce out of her hands, "I meant squeeze it to see if it's ripe, you fucking moron! If it's hard then it's not a good one. So find one that's the darkest in colour, 'gives' a little when you squeeze it, and is heavy,"

With that mental checklist, she selected oranges she felt fit the description. A trip through a few more isles and a full shopping cart later, they were done. But even putting things into the trunk required instructions out of the redhead, "Heavier things on the bottom, idiot,"

The blonde remained confused for a couple of seconds before rearranging the bags as best as she could and looking over at her brother for approval. It was given with a nod and she seized that chance for a request, "Can I drive?"

Tala looked over his shoulder, "You wanna drive? Hmm," He made a thinking face and then held out the keys, "Okay,"

"Really?" She beamed and reached for the keys, only to have him pull them back.

"Dumb ass," He rolled his eyes before getting into the driver's seat. When they were home and she'd seen the vault, she wasn't pleased. She demanded her things back but was denied the appeal. But under certain conditions, "For every time you listen to me, you can either have something back from in there," Tala pointed at the pile up of his sister's things, "Or you can take cash. So for going grocery shopping with me, would you rather have five bucks or one of your things?"

"Give my shit back,"

"Okay, which one of the things in there do you want?"

"All of them! Are you stupid? My _clothes_ are in there! Do you want me to walk around your friends naked? Because unlike your stupid Julia who's probably fat and ugly and has cellulite, I'm very comfortable in my own skin and wouldn't mind giving your cute friends a free show,"

The redhead gave the blonde a dirty look at her statement, "I didn't put all your clothes in there. For now, you wear what you have,"

She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, "Okay Tala, I'll wear what I have,"

As she disappeared to the top floor, the redhead couldn't help but detect something very unsettling about the way she'd obeyed him. He waved it off as he walked into the kitchen and began stocking the fridge with all the groceries; the worst she could do was try to piss him off by wearing his clothes and spraying her fruity perfume all over. But having a decent number of ex girlfriends – including a few that didn't quite count as girlfriends but more like 'nice girls' that just left in the morning – he was used to occasionally having his stuff smell like a girl's so if that was Dylan's plan, she'd just have to try harder.

Unfortunately for him, she did. It happened during dinner when the team captain had called everyone downstairs and with mac and cheese as their meal, every guy in the house had raced to the table, all of them fighting to get the largest portion on their plate.

Scooping some out for himself and then some for his sister, Tala looked towards the ceiling again as if he could see right through it, "Dill Pickle! Dinner!"

"Coming!" Came her reply, following by the sound of her coming down the stairs.

Grabbing a seat, the redhead dug into his food. But it was when Spencer's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, with the contents in his mouth falling back on to his plate, that Tala furrowed his brows; his cooking wasn't as good as Bryan but it couldn't be _that_ bad. And he made this for his teammates before and they always seemed to like it. Nonetheless, much of the boys had pretty much the same reaction, with Ian's hand over his mouth, Bryan sighing as if he needed a drink, and Kai just rolling his eyes before continuing with his dinner. It was at this point the redhead realized it wasn't the food. It was something else, something behind him.

Turning around, he saw something he just couldn't un-see. No, he didn't exactly have 'virgin eyes', but seeing Dylan in awfully revealing black lace lingerie, complete with garters and stockings was definitely something he didn't need to see. Ever. As repulsive as it was, he didn't show it. Instead, he tapped at the empty chair next to him. He wasn't going to let her win. He wasn't going to let her get under his skin. He wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.

"Thanks," She smiled and commenced with her food. After a couple of bites, she dropped the spoon and proceeded to fix her bra in an obvious manner, testing everything around and then putting her hands under her breasts giving them a slight jiggle.

As sickening as it was, the redhead ignored it as best as he could but the unusual deafening silence that filled the dinner table made it difficult. It was awkward, really. Turquoise orbs shifted to his teammates only to find that some of them were shamelessly eyeing his sister. Ian quickly lowered his gaze when his captain caught him red handed, and as mature and reliable as Bryan was, he was still a guy with hormones and thus discreetly snuck a few looks, and it was surprisingly Spencer, the one who seemed to detest the girl the most, who gawked in the most noticeable way. Kai couldn't seem to care less however, his food clearly more entertaining than a girl's assets parading in his view.

Dismayed by his teammates and the fact that his plan had boomeranged and slapped him in the face, Tala threw in the towel. Getting up from his seat, he dragged his sister out with him to the vault. Taking some time to unlock every lock, he reached for all her clothes and chucked them at her, "Go change,"

Holding up her clothes in one hand, she used the other to pat him on the head mockingly just like he did to her. The scowl on his face was amusing and as he called her a bitch behind her back, she ignored him and shut the door to her room. Or his room, rather. In the middle of a trade off between the lingerie and her normal clothes, she could hear a phone vibrate within the room.

She walked over to her brother's side, understanding the sound was coming from his area. She looked around until she spotted the unattended Blackberry nearly slipping from the small table beside his bed. She rolled her eyes as she read _Julia_ displayed on the screen; must have been her brother's new play thing. She let it ring out before she did some playing around of her own...with the phone of course.

Meanwhile, the Blitzkrieg Boys were just finishing up their dinner and had somehow managed to get into a heated debate over who was 'legend' between Tupac and Eminem. Kai couldn't give much of a shit about the topic at hand and had disengaged himself from it early on.

Noticing his iPhone light up on the table indicating he had a new message, he reached for it. Apparently it was a picture message from Tala. There were two things about the notification that made no sense at all: one, Tala would never send him a picture unless he drove by a Lambo or Aston outside, and two, he didn't even have his phone with him at the table.

With caution, he pressed the view button, in effect making him choke on the bite he was trying to swallow. The picture was an incriminating one – incriminating for Dylan for _taking_ the picture and incriminating for Kai for _having_ the picture. She was lying on the bed on her side, still attired in the overexposing lingerie, flashing a flirty grin with the tip of her thumb resting on her bottom lip. The context of the picture seemed virginal with the stuffed animals on her bed and her kiddie coloured bed spread and comforter, but the gist of the picture? Something _completely_ different.

"You alright, man?"

Switching the phone off as fast as possible, Kai nodded at the redhead, "Just Tyson texting..."

* * *

**IMPORTANT!** Did anyone feel that earthquake? Holy effing shit! I was sitting on the couch and my bro was on the other couch and ALL of a sudden my ass starts, like, vibrating and I thought maybe I got my period or something (sorry if that was too much info). But then the entire couch starts swaying and I thought my brother was kicking the couch and I look over at him to tell him to stop or I'd throw my cup of milk at him. But he wasn't doing anything and we're both looking at each other and we didn't say anything, both of us kinda 'telepathically' going "Tell me our entire apartment is fucking shaking and it ain't just me!". EVERYTHING was shaking man! The TV, the fan, the shelves, the windows were fucking rattling and my mom came running out the kitchen trying to hide under the coffee table and reciting all this religious stuff lmao. It was REALLY weird because I live in Toronto (Canada) and this place isn't supposed to get any earthquakes.

Anyways, I know it was felt in Ottawa, Montreal and even New York, Philly, and Pennsylvania...anyone live there? Let me know your stories in your reviews!

**And thanks to the following people for reviewing the last chapter:**

**sasukechica**

**StunningGhost**

**native-kitten**

**Peroxxide Priincess – **Hey I got your msg! I know, I know, I'll update that ASAP! I've been working on the next DLS chapter for MONTHS! I just have to find a way to really tie it up and stuff.

**Phoenixfyre101**

**PWN3D – **Haha I love your username.


	4. Chapter Four

**CHAPTER FOUR**

A glass of milk was already set on the table. Now all she had to do was find some cookies. With the clock hitting four in the morning, Dylan tried to be as quiet as possible as she checked in and every cupboard in the kitchen. She finally came across something that _looked_ like chocolate chip cookies. Unable to read anything on the packaging, she curiously took one out and took the tiniest nibble. Well it _tasted_ like chocolate chip cookies. Shrugging at no one in particular, she picked out a few more cookies – the ones with the most chocolate chips – before shoving the packet back in the cupboard she'd found them in.

Dipping the cookie into the milk, she savoured the familiar taste as much as she could. The flavour of both the milk and the cookie was a _little_ off, but it was good enough.

Better than blood.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she instantly whirled around. She smirked however, when she realized it was only Kai. With some shorts and a wife beater on, he most certainly looked better with _less_ clothes. Arms crossed in what seemed to be all seriousness, he approached her, and in an exasperated tone, he asked what he had come here to ask her, "Was that picture deleted off Tala's phone after it was taken?"

She grinned, "Was that picture deleted off your phone after it was sent?"

The aggravation he felt was evident on his features. She didn't seem to mind however as she proceeded to eye rape him while taking a bite out of her chocolate chip cookie. Feeling rather violated and slightly riled up by her assertive conduct, he turned to leave. Entering his room and shutting the door behind him, he crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over him wondering why Tala never let him know beforehand that his sister was a spoiled, slutty, blonde bitch who had probably been around the block.

_Twice_.

**x x x**

With a box of cereal, a carton of milk, and two bowls and spoons, the redhead pulled out a chair and sat down. As he began his breakfast, he glanced at the time displayed on his Blackberry, "Dylan! You're gonna be late for school! You can walk then!"

Rolling her eyes, she strolled into the kitchen dressed in her school uniform and grabbed a seat across from him. There was nothing new about her: the same unenthusiastic trait about school, hair parted in the side and let down, a little liner and mascara, and that signature Californian tan that occurred from sunbathing all day long. What Tala did notice, however, was the letter 'M' on the heart locket attached to a chain around her neck. She'd always had the necklace, but it was only now he became aware of the alphabet.

"What's M?" He pointed.

She looked down at herself and touched the locket, "Mallory,"

Tala couldn't help but roll his eyes. That was a flat out 10 on his really-fucking-corny meter. Apart from that, he had other concerns, "Why do you even like her?"

"Um hello? BFFs for life and the afterlife,"

"She's not even a good friend,"

Dylan poured herself some cereal indifferently, "She's _still_ not interested,"

The urge to toss his bowl of cereal at her was a strong one. Too bad his conscious was getting in the way, "I'm not interested in your ho,"

"Calling her a ho isn't gonna magically make her want to sleep with you, sorry,"

"Remember that Turkish guy you liked? Faisal?"

"What about him?"

"You _really_ liked him,"

"So?"

"And then she made out with him at _your_ birthday?"

"Okay, Mallory didn't even know I liked him. I mean it's not like I went around telling everyone. Besides, I didn't _really_ like him or whatever. It was just a mini crush,"

"A mini crush that lasted for all of seventh grade?" When she remained unresponsive at the statement, the redhead smirked as he got up, "By the way," He began as he grabbed his car keys and put on his coat, "Mallory and I hooked up last time I was in L.A.,"

The repulsive look on her face was invaluable but she quickly regained her composure, "You were in California two years ago," When he nodded, she continued, "You were seventeen and she was fifteen. She was a virgin back then. _And_ she was seeing that guy who moved from Anaheim,"

He patted her on the head, "I'm gonna let you do the math on this one. Don't fry your brain; it doesn't work that well to begin with,"

"I don't need to do any heinous math here," She triumphantly crossed her arms, "You just got caught in your own lie. And FYI, retard, M and I are like this," She crossed her fingers to emphasize the closeness of their relationship, "I know her enough to know she'd never go after your disgusting, hairy, gross, wrinkly, horrid behind," She chuckled and went back to her cereal, "So next time don't use my friend to boost your lame ego,"

At that moment, Bryan entered the kitchen, letting out a yawn, "Ready for school?"

"Obviously not,"

"Here," The lilac haired blader walked over to the fridge and pulled out a paper bag, "I made you your lunch,"

As Tala stood there, both his arms raised in a 'what-the-hell' manner at his teammate, Dylan was clearly pleased with the generosity of her brother's friend. Accepting the lunch, she tucked it into her school bag, "Thanks!" Standing up, she quickly put on her jacket and swung her bag over her shoulders and right before she stepped out of the kitchen, the redhead pushed her back towards the table.

"Bowl in the sink," He ordered.

"Why?"

"Because, moron," Tala sighed, "When normal people finish eating, they put their stuff in the sink. So go put yours' away,"

"Why do I have to do it?"

Instead of providing a reply for the absurd enquiry, he rummaged through his wallet, "You get five dollars for doing it,"

"I want my iPod,"

"Fine, you can get your iPod," Once the deed was done, he reunited the blonde with her possession and then it was off to school.

During the car ride, which was mostly silent anyway, Dylan decided to pry into the lives of her brother and his teammates, "So what did Ian mean when he said that Julia girl was trying to call dibs on the place?"

"There's a BBA tournament coming up and it's going to be in Moscow. No one wants to pay for a hotel so they wanna stay at our place,"

"How many people?"

"Julia's team, F-Dynasty, has three people,"

The blonde snorted, "What does the 'F' stand for? Fuck?"

"I don't know, why don't you fucking ask them?" Tala rolled his eyes before glancing over at the blonde, "Don't you know anything about the tournaments and the teams?"

"Better question: do I _care_ about the stupid tournaments and teams?"

"You didn't even hear about what happened to me two years ago?"

She laughed, "I couldn't give one-fourth of a shit what happened to you, hun," And with that she hopped out of the Toyota and skipped off to her school. Throwing her jacket and lunch into the locker, she tried to remember her way around the building to where her calculus class was located. Walking into the room, she sat down at the seat she was assigned from her first day of being here.

While most students had gotten used to her, some still continued to gawk at her as if she was an alien. She knew they were talking about her and because she didn't speak the language, there was no reason for them to be quiet about it; they said whatever they needed to loud and clear. Whether they were admiring her or talking shit about her, she'd never know.

As she waited for the teacher, she got out a notebook and a pen like most students around her. She didn't understand the logic behind taking notes though – she didn't understand anything. Oh well, it would be Tala's fault if she failed, not hers'. Then maybe her parents would see how stupid he was and take her back to Los Angeles. Just thinking about home upset her; she missed her own room, she missed Mallory, she missed her other friends, or her entourage, rather, she missed the weather and being able to parade around in a bikini top and a mini skirt, she missed the cheer squad, but most of all, she missed her Skyline. Sighing, she absentmindedly doodled at the corner of the page; a flower, a star, and all things girly and pointless.

"Dee-lan?"

Dylan frowned at the pronunciation of her name before turning around to face the girl who had called her from the seat behind her. She decided against saying 'Yes?' or 'Yeah?'. She didn't know how to respond to someone calling her, really.

The girl, a giddy brunette, smiled, "Dee-lan, is it true? Your brother is the boy from team?"

The blonde smiled, "Yeah, why? Were you interested in him?"

Right away the girl nodded in excitement, her hands clasped together, "Yes! Very much!"

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Dylan tilted her head, "Let me give you a super quick rundown of what he likes. Tala's interested in pretty girls, you know, someone with very nice hair that he can touch, someone with nice lips so he doesn't feel like he's kissing a goat, a girl that's proportionate in the upper area and the lower area, and someone who isn't completely obese. Unfortunately you just don't seem to fit that description," She provided the girl with a bogus sympathetic beam, "My sincerest condolences," Having said that, she faced the chalkboard once again with a slight eye roll relieved for the first time in her life by the teacher's presence.

**x x x**

With a calendar laid out on the kitchen table, Kai and Tala looked over it intently. It was full of markings and writing and little notes of all kinds.

"This training schedule works," The redhead finally said, "We're all free on weekends. We'll just have to work around weekdays,"

"Hn," The slate haired blader dropped his marker on the table, essentially agreeing with his team captain.

"We'll just run this over with Bryan, Spencer, and Ian during dinner,"

Kai nodded before getting up, "I'll be in working in the garage if you need me,"

"Alright. I'm gonna go pick up Dylan from school then,"

The two companions parted ways from there. Pulling up to the blonde's school, the redhead was surprised to find that she wasn't waiting there today. Maybe she'd gotten into trouble in class. Maybe she was getting extra help. Maybe she'd finally made some friends and was talking to them by her locker. He waited for a good ten to fifteen minutes before Dylan emerged from the school.

"What the hell took so long?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She pulled on the seatbelt, "And if you don't like waiting then maybe you should let me have the car," She reasoned, "I can drive to school and come home myself,"

"Nice try, Dill Pickle,"

She let out a deep breath and fiddled with the pigtails of her toque; thank God it was Friday.

**x x x**

Staring under the hood of his car, Kai grimaced. Five hours in and he _still_ couldn't pinpoint the problem. Wiping some sweat off his forehead, he turned around...

...only to be startled by the blonde sitting on a nearby chair watching him, staring him down, _stalking_ him.

She had that smile on her face. Yes, _that_ smile, the one that told Kai she was having incessant dirty thoughts about him. Suspending the break he planned on taking, he whirled around and decided to go back to work. In the midst of examining various parts, he felt the girl pace towards him and his car. He continued to ignore her completely, going about as if she wasn't even there.

"Tala said it's stalling in gear but running in park," She peeked at the contents under the hood.

"Hn,"

"So is it a fast car?"

Kai couldn't help but find the need to say _something_, "It goes from zero to 100 in 5.7 seconds,"

"Oh," She nodded before situating her behind on the headlights of his car, "Are you a fast car?" But when he disregarded her enquiry and turned his attention back to what he was doing originally, she chuckled and moved away from the car, "You like look _really_ good with engine grease all over yourself," And right before she left, she told him what she had _actually_ come here to say: "By the way, Bryan said dinner's ready."

As hungry as he was, Kai wasn't sure if he wanted to be in the same room as the nightmare. Nonetheless, he found himself in the kitchen within a few minutes with the rest of his team.

"So Kai and I have made the training schedule," The captain said as he pointed to the fridge where the calendar was stuck on with some magnets, "I need to know if everyone is okay with it,"

Bryan nodded in approval, "Looks good to me,"

"I'll book us that training center for tomorrow then," Ian added.

"So," Spencer started, "Who's staying over? Julia's team or Tyson's team?"

Dylan raised a brow, "Who's Tyson?"

"You don't know Tyson? Come on, the whole _world_ knows Tyson Granger,"

The blonde made a face before looking back at Bryan, "Guy with the hat? Navy hair?"

"Yeah, that one. The world champion; they've won the tournament for the past four years,"

The younger Ivanov smiled and nodded, "That guy is fucking sexy. Wow, he wants to stay here? What's the problem? I'd love to get my hands on his -"

Tala slapped a hand over his sister's mouth, "_Don't_ finish that sentence or I will be forever disturbed..."

Bryan sighed, "Has anyone even thought about what's going to happen if we have either team stay with us? F-Dynasty has three people and the BBA Revolution have four. Six of us already live here. There are four bedrooms in this house where Spencer and Ian are sharing one, so is Dylan and Tala, my room's tiny as hell and I know Kai doesn't want anyone in his room. So where will they sleep? On top of that, we've only got two washrooms,"

With the facts laid out crystal clear, it made a lot of sense.

"Um, speaking of washrooms," Dylan raised a hand to attract attention, "I don't think that _I_ should have to share a washroom with everyone else in this house,"

The redhead raised a brow, "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? I'm a girl. I don't think I should be sharing a washroom with _five_ guys; that's unsanitary and disgusting,"

"Women complain about equal rights and when we give it to them, they're still not happy; what the fuck?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, and having finished her meal, she rose from her chair.

"Dylan, plate in the sink,"

"I already put my bowl in the sink this morning, I'm not doing it again,"

"You're supposed to put _all_ your dishes in the sink,"

"Oh so now I have to put my stuff in the sink after _breakfast_, and then after _lunch_, and after _dinner_, and even after I have a _snack_?" She looked at the redhead as if he was insane, "I don't have time for all that,"

Tala laid some cash out on the table, "Here's five for doing it,"

It didn't make much sense to her. Why did _she_ have to do it? Why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't the others do it? They seemed to like doing housework anyway. She never had to do this kind of strenuous work before. Scraping things into the garbage and then putting things in the sink...how exhausting and ridiculous.

* * *

**I think I'm getting my period tonight...FML.**

**Anyways. **

**Thanks to these lovely ladies (I don't know if any of you are guys!) who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Oliveover**

**Phoenixfyre101**

**Native-kitten**

**Peroxxide Priincess – **LMAO! We were both on couches when it happened! Haha! I know EXACTLY what you mean with the couch moving, holy shit lmao.

**– **Master of Hobos lmao! Hope you don't panhandle! :P

**PWN3D**

**StunningGhost**

**Ninja2k**

**AND SOMEONE REVIEWED FROM NOVA SCOTIA! It didn't give me your name! I don't know who you are! So I will call you The Nova Scotia person :s Lol. **


	5. Chapter Five

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Saturday at last. That meant no waking up at silly hours of the morning, no worrying over homework, and an excuse to stay dressed in your PJs all day long...and maybe even skip a shower.

But when she felt someone shoving her in an attempt to wake her up, Dylan looked up, one eye closed and the other one squinting, "What the hell? Time is it?" She asked the redhead who looked down at her like a praying mantis. Scary.

"6:30,"

"What the goat shit?"

"Wake up. The team has training at 8 o'clock,"

"Training for _what_?"

He held up his beyblade to answer her enquiry before leaving the room...

...and eventually coming back within the next ten minutes to make sure she'd gotten up.

Grumpily, the blonde sat at the breakfast table dressed in black skinnies, a fitted pink Abercrombie pull over, and those grey UGGs of hers'. Everyone was in the kitchen, some having coffee, some having cereal, some waiting for the eggs that were being fried. Her gaze shifted around the busy kitchen before landing on Tala, "I want blueberry pancakes,"

"We don't have blueberries,"

"French toast then,"

The redhead nodded, "Sure,"

Content, Dylan remained seated at the table and waited for her plate of perfect golden brown French toast with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and sliced organic strawberries on the side and finished with a drizzle of real chocolate syrup. When it never came, however, she creased her brows, "Um hello? I'm waiting,"

Tala grabbed a seat at the table, a cup of milk in his hands, "Waiting for what?"

"My French toast, obviously,"

"K, go make 'em, no one's stopping you,"

The blonde crinkled her face, "What do you mean 'go make them'? _You're_ supposed to make them,"

The redhead raised a brow, "Do you seriously think I'm gonna make it for you?"

"Who else is gonna make me breakfast?"

"You are, genius,"

She'd never made breakfast before. Getting to her feet, she began searching the kitchen for the ingredients. She checked in the fridge, in the freezer, in the cupboards, on the counter, and in the sink.

Turning around, Tala eyed his sister, "What are you looking for?"

With a hand on her hip, she rolled her eyes, "You guys don't have bread from France,"

"What the fuck?"

"How am I supposed to make French toast without bread from France?"

The redhead let out an angry exhale, "I'm gonna teach you how to make French toast once, and _only _once, so watch carefully. Next time I expect you to make it on your own,"

"We don't even have French bread!"

"Would you stop with the bread from France? We can use any kind, you fucking idiot," With that he got a few items out of the fridge, "Crack the egg," He watched her do the task. It wasn't done perfectly; a few pieces of the shell were present in the bowl along with the egg and some of the slime was stuck to both her hands. Oh well, it was good enough for now. Next came the vanilla extract, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the dipping of the bread in the mixture before it hit the pan. After some confusion over how to flip them and when to flip them, two pieces of French toast were finally ready.

Dylan eyed her recently made food on the plate before making a face at Tala, "That's it?"

"That's it,"

She appeared disbelieving, "...seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. It's not rocket science, Dylan. This is one of the easiest things to make. It's the first thing I learned to make when mom and dad sent me here," He was surprised when she shoved the plate of French toast to him in disappointment.

"I don't want it,"

"Why?"

She shook her head, "I just don't want it anymore,"

Tala shrugged his shoulders before taking a bite out of the disowned French toast. After breakfast, it was time to head to the training center. With Spencer calling shotgun, the four others were thrown to the back, crammed and uncomfortable.

Dylan didn't mind though. She picked her seat carefully; squished right beside Mr. Eye Candy, just the way she liked it. Kai didn't seem very pleased, however. With his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed, he preferred to try to ignore the uneasy situation at hand. But it was kind of hard when his goal was to stay as physically far away from her as possible and her goal was the complete opposite of his.

The hellish ride came to an end within the next fifteen minutes when they arrived at their destination. It was a big building, perhaps two to three football fields put together with five floors. With permission to go explore the whole place, Dylan took it right away. The place was essentially a recreation center with every court imaginable: beyblading of course, basketball, tennis, soccer, a swimming pool, hockey, a dance studio, squash, cycling, archery, and only the great Lord above – or wherever – knew what else there was. The only thing it was missing was a spa for her to get a much needed mani-pedi.

With a fruit drink in one hand and her iPod in the other, she decided to head back to where the Blitzkrieg Boys were training. Hopefully they were done by now, it had been a good two hours and she just wanted to go home. She tapped her feet on the ground slightly to some Rihanna song as she waited for the elevator. The lift doors were reflective and thus she was able to tell there was another person waiting for it as well without even having to glance over her shoulder.

It was a guy, perhaps her brother's age, give or take a year. He had long silvery hair tied into a low ponytail and blue eyes. In addition, there was a strange orange dot in the middle of his forehead. He was built, tall, and encompassed a nice tan, but a butterface, she had decided.

In the midst of lingering, she caught the guy staring her down, "As if..." She muttered, providing the boy with a dirty look to signal she wasn't interested. He was too done up for her. Hair neatly combed and tied back, everything clean cut; that's just not how she preferred her boys. Rough and tumbled with serious bed head and a gorgeous face, that was more her thing.

The elevator arrived with a 'ding' and the two piled in. Pressing the desired floor, Dylan scooted away and leaned against the wall. It was when he continued gawking at her she rolled her eyes, "Why don't you just take a picture?"

"Have we...met before?"

"I don't meet guys like you, sweetheart,"

"That's not what I meant. My name is Garland,"

"Cool," Just because he gave her his name didn't mean she was going to give him hers'.

"Are you by any chance related to...Tala Ivanov? I know it's crazy, but..."

She was relieved when the elevator doors opened at her floor, "That's _pretty_ crazy," She managed to say before she departed. What a creep; must've been a fan of her brother and his team, she assumed. Hunting down that stupid training room the Blitzkrieg Boys were in, she barged in, "Can we go now? This place is so retarded and I'm seriously bored,"

"In a bit," The redhead compromised, "We'll leave in an hour,"

"But I wanna go home _now_,"

"Shut up and stop bugging me. I have to train,"

"There's nothing for me to do here," She made a noise of frustration and plopped down on the bench. She didn't understand why she had to come when she could have just stayed home and watched TV. Out of the blue, she found a Blackberry being thrown at her.

"Go call Mallory,"

So that's what she ended up doing: killing time – and killing his minutes – talking to her best friend and before she knew it, sixty minutes had flown by. It was when everyone heaped into the vehicle that Dylan frowned and looked over at Tala, "You're gonna fuck up the suspensions of your car if you always have this many people inside,"

"It's only until Kai gets his car fixed,"

She got inside, feeling slightly unfortunate by the fact that Kai was sitting at the front this time and she couldn't sit beside him. Oh well...next time, next time. Instead of heading home, the team plus Little Miss Princess headed to a restaurant on the way. Unluckily for her, the slate haired blader had run from her again, seating himself on the opposite side of the rectangular table with Spencer on one side and Bryan on the other.

Bewilderment began when Ian watched the blonde flip over her menu upside down, sideways, and upright before turning it the other way again. "...what are you doing?"

She wrinkled her nose, "It's like retarded English," She tilted her head to the side and proceeded to read the menu, "Why is the 'R' backwards? Why do they have a 3 in the middle of the word? Is that the price? And what the fuck is that thing? It looks like a butterfly skeleton,"

Bryan sighed, "No, it's not any of that,"

"Whatevs," She closed the menu before straining her neck to look around the restaurant. Spotting a waiter, she raised her arm, "Excuse me, do you guys have a translated version? I can't read this,"

"Can't read?"

Dylan rolled her eyes, "I," She pointed at herself, "can't," She said slowly, "_read_," She pointed at the menu, "this thing-a-ma-bob,"

"Bob?" The waiter shook his head, a hand reaching to his chest, "I am Fedor Vladimir Vissarionovich Khruschev,"

His name was _what_? She was unable to catch anything and everything after the first syllable. The only thing left for the poor blonde to do was gawk at the server, her mouth slightly open at the same time.

"Just tell me what you want," Tala said, shoving her menu aside, "I'll order it,"

"Do they have sweet potato fries?"

"Yes,"

"With that mayo dip?"

"K,"

"And a Cosmo?"

"Dylan, you're underage," And with that, the redhead turned to the waiter and recited her order in Russian. She didn't even know he spoke the language. He'd been here for five years, he must have learned. Within fifteen minutes, everyone's food had arrived at the table, and just to make sure there wasn't anything funny tucked away in there, the blonde carefully moved some of the fries around and inspected.

All clear. What a relief.

"If I got you a Cosmo, they'd wanna ID you," The redhead started suddenly, pushing a glass of cranberry juice to her, "But they'll never know with this," He added as he poured about an ounce of vodka into her glass from his, "And don't tell mom and dad,"

"And aren't you a role model," Bryan voiced sarcastically while looking at his team captain.

"Please," Dylan waved off with a gesture of the hand, "I woke up smelling like pot, tequila, and puke in my hair more times than I've gone to class. And just for the record, not all the puke in my hair was my puke,"

A slew of gags were heard across the table at the last bit of unnecessary information. After that, everyone chipped in with drunken stories of their own; some of them just strange, some plain hilarious, and some that probably shouldn't have been repeated. Towards the end, although no one else had wanted anything else, Dylan was craving dessert.

"Be right back," The redhead said as he excused himself from the table, "Have to take a piss,"

While he'd gone to relieve himself, a decadent slice of cake was placed on the table. The blonde thanked the server and before she dug into the delight with her spoon, she spotted the cherry tucked into some of the icing. At first all seemed innocent with her picking the maraschino cherry by the stem. But when Bryan realized the dual haired blader sending the blonde a glare, the lilac haired blader proceeded to look on. He was mildly shocked by what she went on to do: she popped the cherry into her mouth and appeared to...well..._suck_ on it for a bit – all while keeping eye contact with Kai – before pulling it back out by the stem, "Mmmm," She exhibited a mischievous smile, "That is _so_ good,"

"Hn," Clearly Kai wasn't impressed with the performance and went right back to texting on his phone as if nothing had happened. The same couldn't be said for the other members of the Blitzkrieg Boys, with both of Ian's eyebrows raised in surprise and an evident Tonka Truck surfacing from Spencer's pants.

Bryan rolled his eyes, "Would you two quit it?" He warned in a whisper before smacking Spencer upside the head, "And for God's sake, hide that _thing_! Tala's coming,"

The outing finally came to an end when everyone found themselves home. Ian and Dylan were sprawled about the living room watching some TV, Kai was working on his car, Tala had gone to bed for a nap, Spencer on laundry duty, and Bryan up in his room.

"There's actually English channels?" Dylan said, surprised as she flipped through the many networks.

Turning his head to face the blonde, Ian rolled his eyes, "Russia isn't a third world country or anything. Everything you find in the States, you'll find here,"

"I don't think so..." Came her mumbling as she paused at a channel for a second before changing it once again.

"You Americans are so ignorant," The indigo haired boy exhaled out loudly.

Finding nothing interesting, she tossed the remote to him, "You pick something," But Ian held the same fate as he only swapped through the channels, occasionally stopping at something. Picking at the skin around her nails, Dylan broke the silence – or rather, the boredom, "So if you guys are all from here, how come you guys have perfect English? Or did your parents kick you out too like Tala,"

Ian furrowed his brows, "Your parents kicked him out?"

"Yeah," She sat up straight, "Didn't he tell you? He wasn't doing too well in school and he hardly showed up to his classes; we'd get a call home about him not being in school like every other day and my parents had no idea what he was doing. I think he was selling crack, he always had rubber bands around his hands. Then one day my mom caught him smoking up with this kid that nobody's mom liked,"

"And then?"

"And then my dad found out about some weird military school here," She referred to Russia and BioVolt, "So they sent him here to 'straighten' him out," She used air quotes, "Then after that he never wanted to come home because he was in a team or whatever," She shrugged slightly.

"Guess he decided to stay with us," Ian slumped into his seat, "But yeah, the entire curriculum at BioVolt was in English," He clued her in before another thought crossed his mind, "Don't you and your parents want Tala to go back home?"

"My parents miss him sometimes but they're cool with what he does,"

"Don't you miss him?"

The enquiry seemed hilarious to her as she let out a laugh, "_I_ don't miss people. _People_ miss me."

* * *

**Note – **This story takes place two years AFTER G-Revolution so the actual storyline from the show is still exists. In addition, if anyone was wondering, yes this story will be Kai/Dylan (although it may not seem like that for a bit, you'll see why) and Tala/Someone (you guys may have figured it out but don't be so sure lol...that's all I'm gonna say).

**Anyways, thank you to the following people!**

**Nova Scotia Person – **Your name isn't showing up in your reviews! Thus I have to resort to calling you Nova Scotia Person lol. And DLS will be updated! I'm a LITTLE stuck with the chapter so that's the only problem! But it'll be up!

**Phoenixfyre101**

**CryMeOut – **What Dylan does with Kai...I've done before...SHAME ON ME! LOL! No, I am not a slut (at least I hope not! Goodness!)

**Sasukechica**

**Peroxxide Priincess – **Lol I hope she's not a slut!

**PWN3D**

**Native-kitten**

**Shanna Ola Deora**

**The Master of the Hobos – **LMAO YOUR NAME! HAHA! As much as I hate to admit it, I used to be a lot like Dylan and I still am. My parents spoiled me pretty bad. I'm 21 and I only recently started making my own bed...LOL! Bad, I know, I know.


	6. Chapter Six

**CHAPTER SIX**

A week had gone by since she'd come to Russia. There was _minimal_ progress in Dylan's conduct. As of yet, she still hadn't washed the dishes, she still needed to be reminded to do her bed, she was still ungrateful, and she was still a mean girl.

On top of that, there was more bad news.

Walking into the room, Tala spotted the blonde on her bed, her feet waving in the air as she flipped through a magazine. He made his presence known by walking up to her and giving her a stern look, "Dylan, I need to talk to you,"

"Not now,"

"_Now_," She gave him a challenging look while turning up the music on her iPod and steering her attention back to the magazine. Annoyed by her defiant attitude, the redhead disconnected the earphones from the MP3 player, "I said now, Dylan,"

Making a noise of frustration, she slapped the magazine closed, "What?"

"I just got off the phone with your calculus teacher,"

"So?"

"So she told me you guys had a quiz this week. You failed; you got one out of thirty-five," He paused, "And that one was for writing your name,"

"Don't come and tell me I failed. You put me in that school. I told you I should have gone to an international school. I don't understand what the teachers are saying,"

"Here's an idea: why don't you make some fucking friends and get some help?"

"I don't wanna talk to any of those freaks,"

"The only_ freak_ here is you, Dylan. Stop fucking around and stop being an annoying bitch. Just as much as you don't wanna be here, I don't want you around either. I'm busy, okay? I have a team to lead, I have a tournament to try to win, and there's a whole bunch of other things that need to be done. I don't have time for your insolence. The faster you cooperate and graduate from high school, the faster you can go back to L.A. and both of our lives will go back to normal," He tossed the pink iPod back at his sister, "If you need help with your homework, you have five people in the house you can ask,"

She rolled her eyes, "Whatevs,"

"And come downstairs for dinner,"

"What are we having?"

"Probably something you won't like,"

And he was right. She had no idea what she'd just been served. "What _is_ this?" She asked as she pinched and picked up one of the dumpling looking things, suspending it in the air in front of her face, "It looks like a -"

"Just shut up," Tala warned before she could make any sort of repulsive comments that would result in his teammates losing their desire for dinner once again. Unfortunately it didn't play out as he hoped it would.

"– testicle."

Luckily it wasn't _as_ vulgar as what she said about borshch, allowing the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys to eat their dinner in peace.

"They're called pelmeni," Ian said as he forked one up.

"Pel-what-i?"

"Pelmeni,"

Scrunching her face up, she moved the plate aside and looked over at Tala, "I want Taco Bell,"

"There's no such thing as Taco Bell in Russia. And even if there was, the answer would be no,"

"What the hell kind of a place doesn't have Taco Bell?" She crossed her arms, "Can I have a sandwich?"

"No. Eat your dinner,"

"Unlike you, Tala, I'm just not into teabagging,"

"Would you stop?" The redhead snapped, "Just eat, okay? I don't want to have to deal with a malnourished moron,"

She poked at one with her fork, "Is there something in it?"

Bryan nodded, "Chicken in some, potatoes in others,"

Disbelieving, she pried one open and poked around the contents some more, "Are you sure it's chicken and not – oh my gosh, is that an eyeball?" She immediately dropped her utensils and moved away from the table, her feet up on the chair.

"It's a peppercorn," Bryan informed before picking it out of her pelmeni, "See?" He sighed when she remained being picky about her food, "Have you ever had perogies before?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "My ex's mom made them like _all_ the time,"

"Well these are like perogies,"

At last, she took a bite. She ate, but very slowly of course, picking this and that off her plate, "Where'd you learn to cook?"

"When you live by yourself, you learn a lot of things. We'll teach you,"

"That won't be necessary," She smiled nonchalantly, "I plan on marrying a sexy chef kinda guy,"

Rolling his eyes, Tala turned to Ian, "So are our beyblades fine for this weekend's training?"

"They're fine," The indigo haired blader started, "but," And then came the dreaded 'but' that caught the team members' attentions, "There's a few problems that I don't know how to get around,"

"Such as..." Spencer displayed curiosity.

"Yours' is fine," Ian dismissed, "Almost all of ours' is. It's Tala's that I'm worried about – it heats up way too much, especially after the engine gear,"

"So? Wolborg cools it off,"

"Wolborg cools it off too _fast_. That can cause the engine gear to jam," He paused, "Or worse, it can crack. If that happens, I can only repair it so many times before it becomes useless. I've already tried to replace it and that was tough. The oil that we're supposed to use for beyblades isn't working that great either,"

Although Ian spent the most time tinkering with everyone's beyblades making appropriate upgrades and such and while every single member of the Blitzkrieg Boys was brilliant at understanding the _physics_ behind beyblades, the story was different when it came to the _mechanics_ of it. They knew more than the basics, of course, but they weren't entirely gifted.

"We could ask Kenny. I understand we're opposing teams, but I'm sure he'll be willing to help,"

"Tala, you scare the crap out of Kenny. I think the guy actually shit his pants when he tried to battle you two years ago,"

"If I scare the crap out of Kenny, I'm pretty sure he'll help. Until then, I'll hold off from using the engine gear 'til we have a solution,"

Ian nodded, "And I'll try to figure something out before the tournament starts,"

"So when does this tournament thingy start anyway?" The enquiry was posed by Dylan, who's plate of food seemed to have been untouched.

"Two weeks from now," Bryan responded, "Most of the teams will be coming in within this week to settle down. Speaking of which," He eyed Kai and Tala for obvious reasons, "What have you two decided with the BBA Revolution and F-Dynasty staying over?"

"I talked to Julia about the space issue. She understood," The redhead informed, "What'd you tell Tyson, Kai?"

The slate haired teen didn't bother looking at anyone as he replied, "I'll send him an e-mail tonight,"

The younger Ivanov finally got up, holding her plate in one hand, "If I put this in the sink, I want my laptop,"

Tala shook his head in rejection, "No, if I give that to you, you'll be on the computer all day long. Then you'll fail _everything_ in school and that means you'll have to stay with us longer. You don't want that, I don't want that, so no, you can't have your laptop. You can have something else. And before you go to bed, I'm gonna check to see if you did your homework,"

As she put her plate in the sink, she looked over her shoulder, "I have to stay in school until four tomorrow,"

She needed to stay after school for an extra hour? "For what?"

"For this project for my family studies class. So either you pick me up at four or I make a temporary boyfriend who will,"

"Fine," He accepted, "I'll be there at four,"

Satisfied, Dylan disappeared from the kitchen. Soon everyone had finished dinner and went their separate ways to do whatever. Spencer and Ian were on dishwashing duty and the three other boys decided to play Halo 3 in the living room. Kai seemed to have the upper hand – he always did with these sorts of games.

"Fuck you," Tala cursed at his companion as his gaming character died and eventually came back to life. But after having his butt whooped by Kai – virtually – for possibly the billionth time, he called it a night. Besides, it was late anyway, nearly three in the morning. While the other two decided to continue playing – apparently Bryan had a 'score' to 'settle' – the redhead headed upstairs.

His room was dark but the door was slightly ajar to let some of the light from the corridors seep in. This action itself brought back some memories from Los Angeles. Keeping the door somewhat open, it was something she always did and clearly the habit had stuck with her. Quietly stepping into the room, he turned on a small lamp, frowning immediately at the sight of some of Dylan's clothes on the floor. Ignoring the mess for now, he grabbed her backpack, unzipped it, and took out the contents.

From the looks of it, she had made an attempt at homework. But that was the thing, it was only an _attempt_. Nothing was complete and she hadn't even followed the instructions on most things. The guidelines were written in Russian and that may have been a factor for why she hadn't done what she was supposed to do; she must not have understood anything. Sighing, he spared the blonde a glance before putting everything back into her bag.

**x x x**

While the teacher blabbed on, Dylan doodled on the corner of her worksheet with her down on the table. Apart from being truly bored out of her mind, a sore throat that seemed to come out of nowhere only made things more tedious. The teacher stopped talking suddenly and everyone in the class began moving around and appeared to form groups. Lifting her head, the blonde looked around the classroom wondering what was happening.

"Dy-li-an?" The instructor from the front called, "Could you come here, please?" Withdrawing from her table, the blonde made her way to the front and stood beside the teacher's desk, "I see that you are having the difficult time in the school," Her accent wasn't perfect, obviously, and some of her grammar didn't make any sense but it was understandable, "Your brother came to me this morning and told me about your situation,"

Oh, well that was interesting. Dylan hadn't known.

"He told me that you are not understanding what we are saying in the classroom, you are not, uh," She paused, trying to find the right words, "you are not absorbing the material we are teaching, Dy-li-an. I am willing to try my best to help you. I will give you the papers in English so that you can understand and do the homeworks,"

"Okay,"

"And if you don't understand something, please come to me, okay? Now here," She pulled out some pages from her desk, "These are the same work as the others but it's in English," She passed them over, "Are these better?"

Dylan nodded, "Thanks,"

"It's due tomorrow, okay Dy-li-an?"

"Okay,"

Throughout the day, she realized Tala had talked to all her teachers. Of course, she didn't have the luxury of having sheer communication with all her teachers like she had in California, but it was certainly better than not being able to understand anything. By four o'clock, Dylan's day had come to an end. Besides the usual 'How was school?', the ride home was relatively silent.

Once home, she'd changed out of that hideous uniform and began working on the things that were due for the next day. After a while, she was called downstairs for dinner.

"Put these on the table," The redhead proceeded to hand her a stack of plates but creased his brows instead, "Why are your eyes all watery?"

She rubbed them a bit before shrugging her shoulders, "Allergies?"

"In the _winter _time in _Russia_?" He raised a brow, "I don't think so," He shook his head before taking a good look at her, "I'll give you some Tylenol after dinner just to make sure you're not getting sick,"

"So what's our status regarding the formal?" Bryan enquired once dinner commenced.

Stirring the unknown contents in her bowl, Dylan eyed the lilac haired boy, "What formal?"

"The BBA formal which officially kicks off the tournament,"

"Nobody told me about any formal," The blonde looked around the table for some kind of explanation as to why she wasn't informed about this 'formal' beforehand.

"Maybe," Tala started, "because you weren't invited? Ever think about that, dumb ass?"

Dylan furrowed her eyebrows, her spoon raised in the air as if this was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard of, "Who _wouldn't_ invite me?"

"Better question: who _would_?"

"Well then," She gave the redhead a phony smile, "This must be one of those formals where a bunch of virgins like you get together and play musical chairs then take pictures to put up on Facebook to make it look like you have a social life,"

"No, it's just one of those formals where you're not invited,"

"I bet you're not invited either. You're just trying to make it sound like you actually have friends,"

Without saying anything, Tala chuckled and pulled something from his pocket before throwing it at her. Picking up the piece of paper, Dylan read over it:

_Tala Ivanov, you are cordially invited to the BBA Formal. You are allowed to bring one guest to this event._

"It says you can bring someone," She voiced.

"So?"

"So..." She pointed at herself as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You sure you wanna play musical chairs with a bunch of people who haven't gotten laid yet? I don't know Dylan," The redhead shrugged, "I mean do you _really _want someone taking pictures of you in that kind of environment and putting it up on Facebook for the whole world to see?" For once, the bitch had no comeback and Tala smirked victoriously.

Unfortunately his victory was about to come to an end in 3...2...

"I'll take her," All eyes moved to Spencer, "All of our invites say we can bring a guest so she can come with me,"

"You are _such_ a sweetie," Dylan smiled as her hand travelled up to stroke the blonde blader's arm, "Tala could you _please_ tell him how sweet he is?"

Although the act appeared to be purely seductive, Tala knew it wasn't. In actual fact, she was stringing Spencer – _his_ friend – in front of him intentionally. It was Dylan's way of reminding the redhead know that no matter how many of her things he planned to take away, no matter how ruthless and strict he planned on being with her, she was _still_ going to get everything and anything she wanted and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

**Note – **Mariah and Hilary (as well as the other girls and characters) will be making their appearance VERY soon! Fear not! Things shall get interesting. At least I think so lol...unless you don't like drama!

**And thanks you to these lovely bitches for reviewing chapter 5!**

**Phoenixfyre101**

**CryMeOut – **I looked over the Russian alphabet and honest to God, my reaction was WTF? It looks very interesting though, I wanna learn! ...and perhaps become a very confused young woman!

**Just a girl – **I haven't forgotten about DLS! I'm like 90 percent finished the chapter and the 10 percent is ALWAYS hard to write! I've been stuck for over 2 months, it's ridiculous!

**Regsd**

**PWN3D – **Oh it shall work out very nicely! Wink, wink! Lol.

**The Master of the Hobos – **Oh man, when I was seven, I think I was still shitting in my diapers...well, that's an exaggeration, but you get the idea! And another shocker (I have no idea why I am putting myself down), but I don't know how to do laundry...and I've never done it before...I should probably learn. And regarding the mayo dip, its mayo BASE, but there's other stuff in it, I don't know what but it's AMAZING! Lol. I'll see if I can find the recipe or something and write it up in the next chapter haha!

**Native-kitten**

**Peroxxide Priincess – **I know eh? She's so sexual! Kai must be gay for not 'feeling' anything LOL!


	7. Chapter Seven

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_Cough._

_Cough._

_Cough._

Muttering curse words under his breath, Tala stuck his head under the pillow in hopes of blocking out the bothersome sound that was his sister coughing as if she was a chain smoker. Unable to get any sleep, he reached for his Blackberry on the side table. He felt even angrier by the fact that it was 4-something in the morning and he'd probably gotten an hour – or two, max – of sleep in total.

_Cough._

Annoyed and having had enough, he kicked off his covers and walked over to Dylan's side of the room. Tangled in her blanket and sleeping on her tummy, she coughed a few more times even while he was there. He'd given her Tylenol before bed to prevent potential illness and thus wondered why this was even happening. Leaving the room and coming back within seconds with a small bottle and a spoon, he proceeded to wake her up. As she sat up lazily, he poured the red liquid into the spoon before holding it towards her. Still half asleep, she accepted the substance unquestioningly. Making a face at the taste of the cough syrup, she lied down and went right back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

Luckily for Tala, the coughing had stopped for the remainder of the night and he was able to sleep peacefully for the next three hours before it was time to wake up again. And the morning held a far worse scenario than the night.

"I feel sick," The blonde stated while still in bed, "I think I have a fever,"

The redhead placed his palm on her forehead, "You're fine,"

Truth be told, he had lied. She was a little warm but some medicine and orange juice would do the trick. Nobody ever died from an insignificant cold and besides, in Russia getting a cold was common. All the Blitzkrieg Boys had gotten sick from time to time and it never stopped them from training or attending important meetings.

"Can I just stay home today?" Dylan complained during breakfast.

"No,"

"But I'm sick," She argued, "You can't send me to school if I'm sick. That's illegal,"

Tala rolled his eyes, "It's not illegal. And anyway, I don't want you to be behind in any of your classes because if you fail, you'll have to stay here for _another_ semester," Taking a sip from his cup of milk, he looked over at the blonde, "Do you want that?"

"Two words: hell and no,"

"Glad we're on the same page,"

In fact, for _once_ they were on this so called 'same page'. As much as Dylan hated Tala, Tala hated Dylan back and for their parents to put them together in such a circumstance was like the cherry on top of their hatred.

As strange as it was, they would actually have to work together for things to go back to normal: in order to get out of here, Dylan would have to essentially listen to Tala and be 'mature' and in order to get rid of her, Tala would have to de-bitchify her hideously bitchy personality and make sure she passed all her classes and graduated from high school with an offer of admission from university.

After that, they could both go back to pretending the other person didn't even exist. And that wasn't hard to do – he was never in Los Angeles and she never came to visit him. They didn't talk over the phone, they didn't email each other, and they sure as hell weren't on each other's MSNs and Facebooks'.

The only time there _was_ communication was on their birthdays...and that was only to remind the other person that they were that much closer to their death and they couldn't wait for that blissful day to come.

**x x x**

With a cup of a certain hot beverage in hand, Kai pushed the door open to the garage. He was beginning to get frustrated with the BMW, almost enough to trash the stupid car. Of course a normal driver would have taken his or her car to a mechanic but he was _positive_ he could get to the bottom of the problem. After all, it was _his_ car, right? He should know _his _car inside out, better than anyone else. If he ever had kids in the future and felt that there was something wrong with them, it wasn't like he could just give them away to a mechanic.

Mid sip from his drink, Kai furrowed his eyebrows as he noticed a small pale yellow post-it stuck to the windshield. Strolling closer to the vehicle, he pulled it off and examined the note:

_Hint: It's not an engine problem._

_xoxo Dylan_

_PS: You have gorgeous hair._

"Have you seen my beyblade?"

Crumpling the note in his hands, Kai looked over his shoulder at the redhead who poked his head into the garage, "No,"

"I always keep it in the drawer beside my bed. It's not there,"

"Interesting," The bluenette voiced in sarcasm while popping the hood of his car open and taking a look inside.

"Kai!"

Annoyed, the bluenette sent his captain a bitter glare, "I haven't seen your beyblade and I don't know where it is, so if you're done with your interrogation, I'd like to get back to work,"

Rolling his eyes and mumbling something that sounded a lot like 'fucking asshole', Tala left the garage and went back to his room. He stared at the drawer in his room, almost as if he was praying Wolborg would be in there magically this time. Pulling it open for the hundredth, he was not surprised by the empty result.

There was no way it could have gone _missing_; he was very careful with his beyblade. And it couldn't be stolen, he'd catch the thief red handed – or broken handed, rather – even in his sleep.

Heading to the kitchen, he found Bryan, "Did you see my beyblade anywhere?"

"No, but," Bryan poured himself a cup of coffee, "maybe Ian took it when he went out. Yours' does need a lot of repairs," The redhead nodded; that was certainly a possibility, "And did you RSVP our team for the formal?"

"I just did," Tala informed before suddenly sighing, "You know the after party is going to be at our place right..."

"Unfortunately..." The lilac haired blader concurred. Although no invites were sent and there was no _official _word of an after party, it was pretty obvious it was going to go down at the Blitzkrieg Boys' household. When the tournament was held in Japan, the after party was Tyson's and when the tournament was in America, the after party was at Michael's place.

There was nothing wrong with a party, in fact, the Russian team loved to go out, load up on booze, and if they were lucky, come home with a hot chick. However, when the party was being held at _your_ place, that meant you'd have to break your bank and purchase all the liquor, lock up your rooms to prevent couples – and hook ups – from using your bed, clean up after people who threw up in your house, and possibly have the cops called on your place from complaining neighbours who didn't exactly appreciate rowdy and drunken youngsters.

Oh the horrors.

**x x x**

Blowing her nose and tossing the used tissue in the trash can, Dylan forcefully pushed passed the crowded hallways of her school, occasionally sending a few students dirty looks for being in her way. At last, she had exited the building.

"I am _not_ going to school tomorrow," She stated as she hopped into the car, "I'm sick,"

Again, the redhead checked her for a fever. It was present, but very moderate, possibly 102 degrees at best, definitely not something to fuss over. He'd been _way_ sicker than this and didn't let it get in the way of his daily routine.

"You can't miss school," He started up the car and drove out of the school property.

"Mom and dad _never_ made me go to school when I was sick,"

"I'm not mom and dad,"

Once home, Dylan decided to sleep off the sickness. As she dived into her mattress, she saw a tiny piece of paper on her pillow. She recognized it to be the same post-it note she left for Kai and it seemed as if he'd used the back of it to write a message of his own:

_Don't leave shit like this on my car._

Chuckling, she put the note aside and tucked herself under her blankets. The sleep was good...and it probably would have been better if Bryan hadn't bothered to wake her up three hours afterwards.

"How are you feeling?" He enquired as she followed him into the kitchen.

"Nasty," An aching throat, a little phlegm while coughing, and a runny nose – how was she expected to feel?

"I'm going to make you some soup,"

Dylan looked slightly hopeful, "Chicken noodle?"

Mentally calculating her reaction to whatever he would say, Bryan answered carefully, "Yes," He laid a few ingredients on the counter, "But it's my own recipe," He added before handing her a peeler, "We start with potatoes,"

"I've never peeled a potato before," She wrinkled her nose as she held the tool in one hand and the vegetable in the other, "What if I cut myself?"

"You won't," Bryan reassured, "Hold the potato like this, and then..." He demonstrated as he gave the potato its' first peel. Copying his movement, she looked up at him for authorization, and when he bobbed his head up and down, she continued. "Now I'm going to chop these," He started when the potatoes were done being peeled, "Take that cabbage," He pointed to the vegetable sitting on the counter, "And cut it,"

"Why are we putting cabbage in chicken noodle? That's disgusting,"

"No cabbage then," He agreed, "How about we put cheese instead?" And when she seemed to like this idea better, he handed her a packet.

"It doesn't look like Mozzarella,"

"It's not,"

"Monterey Jack?"

"No,"

"Havarti then,"

"It's sauerkraut," Her facial expression told him she'd never heard of that kind of 'cheese' before, "Rinse it in cold water first,"

"We're supposed to rinse cheese?"

"It's very salty, that's why," He fibbed while providing her with a strainer, "Can you cut some celery and carrots? Here, use butter knife," Her cutting skills were bad. There was just no other way to describe the uneven sizes and the odd shapes. Among what they already had, other components included tomato paste, mushrooms, onions, some garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and of course, shredded chicken. When everything was done, the rest of the team was called downstairs for dinner.

"Oh, you made -"

"Chicken noodle, yes," The lilac haired boy cut off Ian.

But after taking one look into the pot, Tala laughed and in looking inside the pot himself, Kai only rolled his eyes and grabbed a seat at the table. Not understanding what all that was about, Dylan served herself some of the soup in a bowl.

"Do you like it?" Bryan asked at last.

"Yeah," Who _wouldn't _like chicken noodle? "It's really good,"

The redhead smirked, "Would you like more chicken noodle?"

With a bowl nearly empty, Dylan shrugged her shoulders and decided to have a little more. Besides, chicken noodle was always good during a cold; her parents would always make her some in California or bring her some from a well-known deli.

It wasn't until she was done when Tala decided burst her bubble, "So," He began as he folded his arms over his chest, "That wasn't chicken noodle,"

"Are you stupid?" The blonde was quick to retort, "I saw him make it from start to finish. I know exactly what's in it,"

"What did he put in it?"

"Carrots, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, chicken, cheese -"

"There's no cheese in it, moron,"

Dylan pulled a piece of sauerkraut from the main pot, "See? Cheese,"

"Then how come it didn't melt?" Challenged Tala.

Well that was an interesting question. Maybe it was some kind of weird cheese that just wouldn't liquefy; after all, she even had to soak it in water.

Getting up to put his bowl in the sink, the redhead chuckled and patted his sister on the head, "What you just had is called _shchi_. It's Russian cabbage soup,"

"And the only reason you ate it," Bryan took over, "is because you knew exactly what it was made of. That's why I called you downstairs, so that you can see what I actually put in it," He paused, "By the way, sauerkraut isn't cheese. It's dried cabbage,"

Standing by the counter, Tala waited for some sort of verbal reaction from his sister. He was surprised, however, with what she'd chose to declare, "Can we have this again for dinner tomorrow?"

* * *

**There's a fucking ladybug in my room and I'm shit scared...anyways, thanks for reviewing the last chapter!**

**M30WHelloKellyM30W**

**The Master of the Hobos – **Stop making me feel bad! Lol. To be honest, there's a LOT that I don't do, it's sad! I cleaned my room today though!

**Phoenixfyre101**

**Desastrus – **Dramarama! It's gonna happen!

**PWN3D**

**Ice blader**

**CryMeOut – **YOU GOT THROWN OFF? Are you okay? What the hell! Omg!

**Just a girl – **My friend made me eat calamari once...and lobster dip...it was so awkward...and painful!

**iEXIST – **I put a little note in the last chapter I believe (or the chapter before that? I can't remember) about Tala's pairing! You'll have to wait and see what happens!

**Crying Sorceress – **You nasty woman, you. Head banging sex. Well actually that doesn't sound so bad along with several martinis... ANYways! Yes, I do hope it will be less chapters than DLS (I'm very scared of DLS myself...and the length of the chapters of that story, good lord!).


	8. Chapter Eight

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

After poking and shoving her a couple of times, Tala had succeeded in waking Dylan.

"Get up or you'll be late for school. And you know the rules, if you're late, you walk to school,"

She blinked a couple of times before sneezing, "I feel _really_ sick,"

"You're fine,"

She couldn't understand how he could just say she was 'fine'. She hadn't seen herself in the mirror yet but she was sure she probably looked like shit because that's how she felt. Her throat was sore, her nose was entirely stuffy, and she felt _so_ ridiculously cold – all of them red flags indicating a serious cold.

"I wanna stay home today,"

"No," He tugged the covers off her, "Get up _now_,"

If she couldn't stay home and rest, she planned on sleeping right through her classes, maybe even skipping them if she felt that was possible without her brother finding out. So she got up and got ready for school, as uncomfortable as that was.

**x x x**

"Dragoon?"

"Check,"

"Launcher, ripcord, and spare parts?"

"Check, check, check,"

"Condoms?"

"Hilary!"

Lowering the checklist, the brunette placed a hand on her hip, "I don't want you getting into any sort of trouble, Tyson,"

"The world champ would never get into _that_ kind of trouble," The bluenette reassured, "Besides, I don't have time for girls right now. At least nothing serious, anyway," As he zipped his luggages, he failed to notice Hilary slump her shoulders at his statement. Four years, four _whole_ years and Tyson was still clueless. Everyone else had figured it out, it was so obvious.

"We all ready to go?" Kenny walked into the room along with Daichi following.

The world champion grinned, "Yup! Russia, here we come!"

"Well then, let's get going. The White Tigers are waiting for us at the airport; we're taking the same flight to Moscow," With the aid of a taxi – and bribing the driver with extra cash if he sped up – BBA Revolution made it to the Tokyo airport in time, unifying with the White Tigers who had arrived from China. After greeting everyone appropriately and throwing each other compliments on how much – or how little – they've changed, the two teams boarded the plane.

"So Tyson _still _hasn't asked you out?"

Going slightly pink in the cheeks at Mariah's enquiry, Hilary shook her head, "I don't think he even knows,"

"Then why don't _you_ ask him out? It's the 21st century, its okay for girls to make the first move,"

"I don't know..." The brown haired girl slouched into her seat and looked out the airplane window, "I don't think he's looking for a relationship,"

Mariah raised a brow, "And you know this how..."

"He said something along those lines. He said he's not looking for anything 'serious'," Hilary used air quotes, "Anyways, enough about Tyson. Tell me about you. What's going on with you and Ray?"

"_Nothing_ is going on between me and Ray. We're just friends," The pinkette paused and looked over at her companion, "Like _actually_ just friends. I can't see him anything more than that, it's too weird. I've known him forever and Ray feels the same way. It's just that Lee keeps trying to set us up together," She wrinkled her nose, "Aren't brothers supposed to be _against_ the whole friend-sister relationship?" As Hilary chuckled in response, Mariah only sighed, "So are you guys staying at Kai's place?"

"Not after Kai replied to Tyson saying he could stay if he, and I quote, 'sucked his Russian sausage',"

Mariah wasn't surprised – Kai was always known to be a little...upfront, "Well Julia told me she wanted to stay there too and I was pretty sure Tala was going to let her because they're...you know...but anyway, apparently he said no to her because they have no room in their house especially since his brother is staying with them now,"

A surprised look replaced Hilary's features, "Tala has a brother?"

"Apparently. His name's Dylan,"

"Is he part of the team or something?"

Mariah shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I never asked Julia. I was just shocked to find out he even _had_ family,"

The brunette agreed with a nod, "Are you okay with the whole Julia and Tala thing?"

"Yeah,"

"So...you don't like him?"

"I don't _like him_-like him, I mean obviously he's cute, but no, just no. It would be so awkward; Lee would never approve, he doesn't trust those guys,"

Hilary grinned suddenly, nudging Mariah teasingly, "Maybe Dylan's _even_ cuter,"

The pink haired girl laughed, "We'll see."

**x x x**

"You have a few choices: one, you can either modify your entire beyblade into a brand new one; two, you can refrain from using the engine gear until we have a proper resolution; or three, you can take out the engine gear from your beyblade,"

Tala frowned at Ian; none of those were options he liked. The two teammates lounged on the living room couches looking over the stats displayed on Ian's laptop. So far out of all the training they'd done in the week, the team captain himself had the least improvements because of the dilemma he was having. Absentmindedly, he fiddled with the attack ring of his beyblade trying to think of another way out.

As much as he detested the notion, it was something they'd have to rely on Kenny for...if he was willing to help.

The two looked up when they heard the garage door open. With a grey hoodie and jeans stained in motor grease, Kai stepped into the living room.

"Did you fix it?" Ian was the first to ask.

"Soon,"

"Just take it to a mechanic, man,"

Kai shifted his gaze to the shorter blader, "Is that your way of telling me you don't think I can fix my car?"

"Yes. I thought I sounded obvious enough,"

Rolling his eyes, Tala decided to join into the conversation, "We can't even get a beyblade repaired and you think you can magically get your car to start working?" And though he was merely trying to reason, the tone came out relatively taunting by habit.

"Hn," Kai smirked, "That's because I got a pair and you don't," Satisfied by the reaction on their faces by his insult, the slate haired boy headed into the kitchen for a drink. But when he spotted the nightmare at the dining table, he almost turned back. That was until he realized she'd fallen asleep, her head resting on textbooks and notebooks, a pen still loosely gripped in between her fingers.

Safe.

Keeping an eye on her just for good measure, Kai walked over to the fridge and cracked open a beer. After chugging some down, he inattentively made his way towards her and tugged at one of her notebooks, somewhat curious to know what sort of a student she might have been. He didn't have high expectations to begin with and definitely wasn't surprised by what he saw: empty pages mostly except for mindless geometric patterns and random block letters of her name. Typical. Beer in hand, the nineteen year old proceeded to go back to the garage.

Within an hour, he found himself back in the kitchen along with the rest of his team for their nightly meal.

"Wake up, man," Tala hit the blonde over her head with some of her worksheets from school, "Time for dinner, clear the table,"

She sat up slowly, tilting her head back in a lethargic sort of way, "I feel _really_ bad," She coughed a couple of times being making a pained expression and placing a hand over her chest, "It's hurting here,"

"Fine," The redhead grabbed a seat across from her, "If you still feel sick tomorrow, I'll take you to the doctor after school," He picked his words very carefully, purposely putting in the 'after school' bit to see what she'd have to say about going to school tomorrow. He was surprised when there was no crude comeback from her; he must have finally knocked some sense into her. Pleased to have control over her, he dismissed the conversation with his sister and started a new one with the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys, "We'll adjust our training schedule depending on how good the teams are this year. And other things..."

Ian faked a cough and kept his eyes on his plate, "_Julia_,"

The team captain frowned, "Other things mean other things, not Julia. Besides," He paused all of a sudden when he caught Dylan staring at him blankly, "What?"

An answer was given non-verbally as she unexpectedly toppled right off the chair and hit the floor. Tala looked around the table at everyone else trying to register what had just happened. When it hit him that she'd fainted, he scrambled towards her. The blonde regained consciousness within seconds, propping herself on her elbows, evidently dazed from what took place. The redhead detangled her foot that still dangled from the chair, "Are you okay?"

She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off, "Does she look okay to you?"

The team captain turned his head to discover the phoenix looming over them, "I'm gonna take her upstairs,"

"Where you need to take her," Kai kneeled down and lifted one of her hands, "is to the hospital,"

What he was really showing to Tala was the tips of her fingers – her nail beds were completely blue. It was a cold symptom the redhead wasn't familiar with. Mildly concerned – after all, his parents had trusted him enough to put her under his care; he didn't want to screw it up – he decided to go with the suggestion, "I'll go get her medical stuff from upstairs,"

While he'd gone, Spencer fetched the girl's shoes and helped her put them. Although everyone else was around her, her turquoise orbs settled on Kai and seeing he was still crouched beside her, she took full advantage. Just like a cat climbed up on trees, she climbed up on him, her arms hanging around his neck and her legs around his waist.

Regaining his composure after being slightly taken aback, he glowered at her. When that seemed to have no effect, he got up and tried to let gravity do its work in letting her slide or fall off him.

Pssh, like that was going to happen.

**x x x**

_In BP's attempt to plug the spill, numerous contraptions have been tried – and have failed. As we approach Month Four of the spill, the ideas keep coming, as does the oil._

Tired of reading countless articles – and hearing about the oil spill disaster for the gazillionth time – Kai tossed the Popular Mechanics magazine over to the empty chair beside him.

He frowned at the situation he was in, but moreover, he couldn't believe the idiot that was Tala actually thought he had _volunteered_ to come to the hospital with them. As a result, there he was, seated in one of the chairs in the hospital's waiting room with Lucifer's minion sitting on him.

And they called it _waiting_ room for a very good reason.

As his leg started to fall asleep and he tried to move it around, Dylan only made herself more comfortable on him. For the F-word's sake, she was using him as a human chair...or bed. The latter seemed more plausible, he could tell she fell asleep, his shoulder functioning as her pillow, his upper arm role playing as...

He didn't want to know.

She was holding onto it and whether it was subconsciously or purposely, he didn't know – she did express a liking towards that body part of his.

And curiosity towards others...

Upon shifting her over to his other side to get her weight off his left leg, the shine of something caught his eye. He spotted the source from a ring around her finger. It was just a regular silver band but what made it unusual was the fact that it was around her ring finger. A closer look and he was able to make out an engraving, the word _charming_ in cursive visible. Detaching her hand off his arm, he attempted to read the rest of the contents when a clipboard was rudely shoved in front of his face.

"What the fuck does this part mean?"

Standing in front of him was Tala, a pen pointing towards something on the paper that was fastened to the clipboard. The bluenette read over the enquiry, "It's asking if you've given her any medication," He decoded, "And if so, write down what,"

The redhead pulled the pre-hospital forms back, "Oh," Although he considered himself fluent in the Russian language, there were still times he had some difficulty when it came to reading, writing, and speech. Nevertheless, the forms were filled out and handed to the receptionist and after waiting around for another half hour, they were called in next.

Awake and perched up on the little bed, Dylan stuck her tongue out while the doctor took a look inside. Turning off the small light and tossing the popsicle stick in a nearby trashcan, he looked over at the redhead, "Pneumonia,"

And as the doctor just stood there, Tala gave him a pathetic look, "Well what are you waiting for – erectile dysfunction? Give her the medication she needs; I share a room with her, I don't wanna get sick. I have a tournament to participate in,"

Frowning at the redhead, the MD scribbled up a prescription and handed it over and left the small room to treat other _grateful _patients.

"Alright Dill Pickle, let's dip,"

Following the purchase of the recommended antibiotics, they headed home.

* * *

**Note** – Regarding ages, Dylan is 17, all the Blitzkrieg Boys are 19. This was mentioned in the first chapter when I said Tala was two years Dylan's senior...

I've also mentioned in a chapter that Tala has been in Russia for five years which means he went there when he was 14 (14 plus 5 is 19...that gives you a lot of information: He was 14 at the time of being sent there, he's been there for 5 years, now he's 19).

In addition, I've also said that this story takes place 2 years after G-Rev...if you do the math here, Tala was 17 in G-Rev, 16 in the second season, and 15 in the very first season WHICH means during his first year at the Abbey, he was never in a World Tournament.

I'm not one of those overly descriptive authors; I kind of get straight to the point and leave most things to the readers' imaginations. You'll have to read in between the lines with my stories.

Also, I don't write things for no reason in this story. If I write something, it means it will have something to do with something later on in the story.

**And the list of lovely people...**

**Crying Sorceress – **About Dylan's name...I figured if Tala has a girl's name, she should have a guy's name. I didn't want to give her a stupid name like Talia or whatever lol. And I think Dylan as a name suits her personality haha.

**Waffles – **Hahaha I put a huge note about that! Dylan's 17, Tala's 19 – and his team – and other peoples' ages will be revealed!

**iEXIST – **Tala's pairing won't be an OC! There was a certain hint in this chapter though. And I think you will REALLY enjoy chapter 10 lol.

**CryMeOut – **My dad, omg, he always puts chilli peppers in food and tells me he didn't and I can't stand spicy food. When I pick it out and show him, he's like "Oh that's just coriander leaves!". Ugh...

**Just a girl – **All men are wrong! They compare women to cars, kids to cars, their penises to cars!

**SouthernDragon – **There will be a LOT more with her and Kai! Haha!

**The Master of the Hobos – **How she knows it's not an engine problem? You'll find out! Btw, my dad says I have to learn laundry within this month, does that make you happy?


	9. Chapter Nine

**CHAPTER NINE**

_To: BBA Revolution, F-Dynasty, All Stars, White Tigers, Barthez Battalion, Saint Shields, Team Psykick, Majestics_

_From: Blitzkrieg Boys_

_Subject: After party_

_After party happening at our place. See you there._

Before hitting the send button, Ian looked over the 'To' list to make sure he hadn't missed any teams. Content with the guest list, he proceeded to hit send when he felt the seat on the sofa next to him sink in. Glancing over he found Dylan beside him, looking over at the screen curiously, "What's this?"

"I'm just letting everyone know the after party is going to be held at our house," He was about to send the e-mail when he was interrupted a second time.

"How come you didn't invite them?" She pointed to the _Team BEGA_ under his contact list.

"Because," He sighed, "Don't you know anything?"

"Would I be asking if I did, sweetheart?"

Ian rolled his eyes, "We're not on the greatest terms with them, _especially_ Tala,"

Dylan chuckled, "Tala's not on good terms with _anyone_. Nobody likes him. I keep trying to tell him because if I don't, others will, and then he'll have one big emotional meltdown and possibly take his own life on a very tragic level,"

"Right..." The indigo haired blader nodded slowly, "_Any_ways, Tala and Garland – that's the guy from the other team – they have some beef,"

"Garland?" The blonde repeated, "Wait, wait, wait – long hair, ponytail, kind of tall?"

Ian raised a brow, "So you know him?"

The flaxen haired girl waved everything off, "Continue,"

"Two years ago they had a beybattle and it was _really_ bad,"

"The moron lost, right?" Assuming 'moron' meant Tala, Ian nodded but paused when Dylan laughed, "Tala's just a hater. He hates on anyone and everyone that's better than him. He just can't accept the fact that he sucks. Oh well, you know what they say, 'let the haters hate',"

Ian narrowed his eyes, "I don't think you understand. Tala was hurt really bad during that battle,"

He was taken aback when she expressed amusement, slapping her leg even, "This is great!"

"Don't you care about Tala?"

"Do I look retarded to you?"

"He's your _brother_,"

"Yes, what's your point?"

"My point is that he's your brother and you should probably go see if he's okay," He stopped briefly, "Even though it happened two years ago and he _is_ okay now,"

Dylan scooted closer swinging an arm around him, "Hun, I don't think _you_ understand. Tala and I came out of the same woman and we share the same mom and dad and we even have the same last name but that's _all_," She explicated, "Other than that we're just two different people who don't give a shit about each other. I mean, you tell me, has he ever talked about me?"

"No,"

"Exactly," Without asking, she pulled the laptop over to her, "Now let's see," She read over the email before giving Ian a lame look, "That's it?" Shaking her head, she began typing in the textbox, "There we go," She grinned before forwarding off the email to all the recipients. Closing the laptop, she turned to the boy, "Now tell me about Garland,"

"What do you mean 'tell you' about Garland?"

"Is he single? Is he kinky? Do you have his number?"

Ian couldn't believe it, "You'd seriously do that to Tala?"

"I can't help it that Garland's really sexy and I'm attracted to him,"

"Dylan, he sent Tala to the _hospital_; he was in there for over a month. How can you even consider a guy that would do that to your _brother_? Everyone came to visit him: your parents, all the teams we ever faced, and even strangers. You never came – why?"

She scrunched up her face, "Why do _I_ have to visit? Why didn't _he_?"

"The guy was in a fucking coma, how the hell was _he _supposed to visit? That doesn't even make sense, although when he woke up and got better, he did go to Los Angeles for two weeks,"

Dylan rolled her eyes, "He put _himself _in the hospital; no one asked him to battle a guy who was clearly better than him. But anyway, I really like Garland. He's good looking, from what you're telling me he's obviously a great beyblader, and I'm sure he's a nice guy and I'd like to get to know him,"

"You wouldn't. I don't care _how_ much of a bitch you are," He halted, "No offence," He was quick to add before continuing, "But not even _you_ would do something like that. That's beyond messed up,"

Sliding off the couch, she smirked at Ian, "Watch me."

**x x x**

Turning the key in the ignition, Kai turned the gears, frowning when the problem continued to exist. Taking out the key, he leaned into his seat. What _now_? He'd spent so much time and energy trying to patch up the problem with his car. As the feeling of uselessness washed over him, he felt sick to his stomach; there was just something very unsettling about not being able to do things by yourself.

When he heard the passenger door open and close, he looked to the side immediately. As Dylan made herself at home in the passenger seat with a grin, he only looked out the windshield in utter frustration. What the hell did she want? Seeing her was the _last_ thing he needed.

"Still not working?" She looked around his car, "Oh come on, McDreamy,"

"Hn," He crossed his arms, "Seeing as your help – or the help of a girl for that matter – is not required, I don't see why you're here,"

"I don't plan on helping, you should know that by now, hun," She leaned over and turned the key to start up the car, "But I'll give you another hint: it has something to do with something that starts with a T,"

"I don't _need_ your hint. And it can't have anything to do with the transmission," Clearly he'd deciphered the clue right away, eyeing the gears in the process.

"Actually, it has everything to do with your transmission; I'm sure you'll figure it out. Having said that, you should have this baby up and running by this week," She patted the dashboard and handed him a screwdriver, "So get working, Mr. Mechanic," And with a wink, she exited the car and made her way out of the garage.

"Dylan,"

She was stopped midway from going upstairs. Glancing over her shoulder, she found her pathetic excuse of a brother, "Listening, hun,"

"First of all, stop calling me 'hun'. I'm older than you. Second, get over here and have your antibiotics; you already missed three days of school so you're definitely not staying home tomorrow,"

Rolling her eyes, the blonde trekked back to the first floor and followed the redhead into the kitchen. He poured the banana flavoured antibiotic onto a spoon and she accepted it instantly, "Can I have some more?"

"No, you fucking druggie," He closed off the cap and tossed the spoon into the sink, "Now go read a book or something,"

"Actually I'm watching TV,"

"_You're_ not, I am,"

"That won't be a problem then, will it? As far as I know Tala, you're of gay inclination and you enjoy watching womanly shows,"

Sending her the magic middle finger, the redhead casually walked out of the kitchen and took full ownership of the living room until it was time for dinner a few hours later.

"So the after party invites were sent," Ian started, biting into a piece of chicken. At least it _looked_ like chicken... "What time are we heading to the formal tomorrow?"

"It starts at 8," Bryan stated, "So we'll leave our place _at_ 8 so that we aren't the first morons there,"

"Will there be alcohol?" Asked Dylan.

"Obviously,"

"Thank God,"

Tala narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "For people 18 and over, _hun_,"

"I can pull off 18," She shrugged.

"Without a wristband? Don't think so, Dill Pickle,"

"I don't need a wristband," The blonde smirked before cupping her breasts, "I have these,"

Repulsed, the redhead turned his chair the other way completely and proceeded eating his meal faced away from everyone else. After dinner, Bryan and Spencer were stuck with cleaning the dishes while Tala had a newfound chore for Dylan.

"This is a vacuum," He introduced almost sarcastically, "You get fifty for doing the whole house,"

"Sixty,"

"Fifty-five,"

"Sixty,"

"Fifty-_seven_ and that's final,"

"Sixty,"

What Tala essentially wanted to do was take the electrical cord and brutally choke her to her demise and then toss her body into Lake Baikal. But with Bryan, Spencer, Ian, and Kai in the house...there were just too many witnesses.

"Fine," And the only reason he agreed was because he was going to go to the basement and get himself a goddamn drink and quite possibly smoke a joint, "Here," He handed her some bills totalling sixty, "So kitchen, living room, stairs, and all of our rooms, kapish?"

"I've never used one of these before," She twisted the vacuum around.

Muttering profanities, Tala plugged it in and turned it on to which she immediately covered her ears while he demonstrated how to use it on a small part over the carpet in the living room.

"This is a fucking safety hazard!" She shouted over the noise.

"And you," He handed the vacuum over, "are a fucking health hazard," With that, he headed over to the kitchen, fetched himself a glass, poured in some tomato juice and spiked it with a _very_ generous amount of vodka from the underground room. It was when he climbed up the stairs to let himself out of the basement he realized he was locked inside, "Fuck me," He fiddled with the knob for a while before resorting to banging on the door.

Eventually Bryan came to his rescue, "This piece of shit keeps locking up from the inside,"

"No, really?" The redhead rolled his eyes, "I'll fix it tomorrow,"

**x x x**

Lying on his bed and playing a game on his iPhone at random, Kai had no better way to kill time until he felt it was time to go to bed. His usual bedtime lied in the timeframe of midnight to two in the morning.

And it was only 9:30...

Halo 3 was an option and so was television but with the annoying vacuum, he chose to wait. He continued with the tedious game until he heard the noise from the vacuum coming closer and closer and closer until _click_; without a knock, his door swung his head to see who it could have been, he was not happy as he realized it was Dylan, "Get out," He ordered.

She shoved the vacuum inside, "Tala said I have to clean your room,"

"No," He got off the bed and planned to push her out of his room. But as he reached for her, she bent over and picked something up off the carpeted floor.

"You dirty boy!" She tossed his briefs over to him before a sly grin was visible on her lips and she lightly whipped him on the butt with the electrical cord, "I like dirty boys,"

Putting the undergarment away, he crossed his arms and gave her a grim look, "You have thirty seconds,"

Thirty seconds being more than enough time for her, she got crackalackin'. His room was no bigger than her brother's room and he was tidy for the most part but not spotless – no guy was ever spotless. His bed was made and his shelves were neat but they were collecting dust. There was a laptop sitting on his table with a pair of headphones connected but most of the cord dangling off the table and the chair was pushed off to the side in a lazy manner.

Everything about the room gave it away that it was a boy's: the walls pale blue in colour, a few hubcaps pinned up above his bed – hell, every single guy in this house had at _least_ five things in their room that had something to do with cars – black and blue checkered bedding, and a shitload of XBOX games, some lying on the table, some lying under his bed, some on the shelves where all of them were supposed to be, and some on his bedside table, and the Holy Grail of it all, a massive stash of porn.

Alright, alright, he didn't have any Playboy's on him. In fact, none of them did – after all, they were all nineteen and who needed to rely on magazines for a little pleasure when they could just get the real thing after a trip to a club or lounge? The closest thing she came to pornography in the entire house was a poster _underneath_ a poster in her brother's room of a McLaren F1 with a chick in a bikini.

The _real_ Holy Grail in a nineteen year old guy's room was weed. Not surprisingly, she'd found some of that in all their rooms.

And condoms.

"Time's up," Kai notified as he helped her out of his room. This 'help' consisted of physically coming up behind her and lifting her up and depositing her and the vacuum in the hallway outside his bedroom.

"If you like it from the back then I can make some arrangements at the convenience of your time,"

He ignored the sexual remark as he poked around his wallet and tossed a twenty at her, "Your tip," He informed before slamming his door shut to imply she wasn't welcome in his room.

Or his life.

**

* * *

**

**I HAVE A CONFESSION! **I...used to be a mean girl...I know, I know. So my question to you ladies: what kind of a girl were/are you? The bitch? Or the girl on the other side? The only times I've ever been on the 'other side' was with older girls (and I'm not gonna lie, some have made me cry) but apart from that I was always, well, you know.

BUT! I have called up all the girls of my past and apologized! I said sorry to one girl _three_ years later. Another girl I wasn't the nicest with, well we're best friends now. Am I still a bitch? ...only when necessary.

**Thanks a million to these reviewers!**

**Crying Sorceress – **It is! And one time I fainted after a needle (actually I faint every time I get a needle) and my nails were effing blue man, scared the crap out of me. They were _completely_ blue.

**iEXIST – **First of all, I really like your penname! I don't know why! Lol. Second, YES the next chapter will be about them meeting!

**Waffles – **I NEVER read anything properly and I always get into crap for that!

**Just a girl**

**Missconfus3d – **Don't feel bad! You can review from now on :P

**Crazingonbeyblade111**

**Kiminko Ryuchi**

**Peroxxide Priincess – **I just told another reviewer about fainting haha. I faint every time I get a needle. I pierced my ears when I was 18...and it took my ex boyfriend 5 times getting me into the store before I sat down and got it over with. Oh, and don't be so sure about Tala and Julia...you'll see next chapter :P


	10. Chapter Ten

**CHAPTER TEN**

The White Tigers gaped at the e-mail they'd received from the Blitzkrieg Boys regarding today's after party which was being held at their place. Something about the e-mail just wasn't right...

_From: Blitzkrieg Boys_

_Subject: After party_

_SEXY COSTUME after party happening at our place. Unsightly people not welcome (seriously). See you there, bitches. _

_xoxo I, D, K, T, B, S _

"I knew it," Kevin started, "I knew Ian was gay,"

Ray cast the shorter blader a look, "How do you know he wrote it?"

"'I' must stand for Ian and since his name is first, I'm sure _he's_ the one who wrote this,"

"Then who is D?" Lee enquired.

"That must be Dylan," Mariah piped in, "Tala's brother,"

Gary wrinkled his nose, "So Tala has a brother _and_ Ian is gay?"

"Well I hear he shares a room with Spencer..."

"So Spencer is also -"

Mariah rolled her eyes at her brother and the rest of the team, "Don't you guys have anything better to talk about than which Blitzkrieg Boy is gay? And anyway, we should leave now," She looked over at the time, "The formal starts in fifteen minutes. I've already called a taxi to pick us up,"

Lee glanced back at the email, "Why would they even invite us? We're not even close,"

The answer to that would be a complicated one. Kai and Ray were good friends...but Ray was not good friends with the rest of the guys from his ex-captain's team. Hilary, Mariah, and Julia were the best of companions and where one went, all went; seeing as Tyson was clearly going to go, Hilary would too. Julia would go for Tala, and thus, Mariah would have to go; besides, she didn't have a problem with the guys and she was looking forward to meeting this Dylan to see if he was up to par with his brother. Lee wasn't fond of any of the Blitzkrieg Boys and preferred to stay the hell away from them while Kevin and Gary were neutral – they'd forgiven and forgotten.

Doing some last minute touches to her hair and dress, she led the rest of her team to the hotel lobby where a taxi was waiting for them. The ride to the reception hall didn't take very long. What _did_ take long was getting inside; there was a massive line up with all the teams – _and_ their guests – waiting to get in.

While in line, the White Tigers – namely Ray – had spotted the BBA Revolution, letting them butt in so they could wait together. Compliments between Hilary and Mariah were exchanged – excessively – and cigarettes were exchanged between the guys. Once inside, most of the girls headed straight for the bathroom. This is where the pinkette and brunette found Julia as well.

"Don't we look great?" Julia exclaimed, looking at the others before staring down at herself. While Mariah went with something fashionable, Hilary with something sweet, Julia opted for something sassy – she had a certain someone to impress! "Do you guys know if Tala is here already?"

"No idea," Hilary replied, "Are you going to the after party?"

"_Obviously_," Julia chuckled, "I have some business to take care of there," Having said that, she pulled something out of her purse only to have the brunette gasp and grin, while Mariah verbalized her two cents.

"Just _one_ condom? You sure that's enough? This _is_ Tala we're talking about..."

"He'll have more!"

While they continued with their conversation, they felt a new presence enter their circle. With a head full of healthy blonde hair, a decent height, and a to-die-for figure being showed off in a short black bandage dress, there was no doubt she was a pretty girl...but a girl they were sure they hadn't met before.

"Might I offer a suggestion?" She said at last.

Julia smiled, "Sure,"

The blonde smirked, one hand on her hip, the other one by her side holding onto a clutch, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I overheard your discussion regarding Tala and I just thought I should let you know I don't think he's the best pick for you, hun,"

"Oh?"

"As far as I know, he's into liberally sized assets," She stared Julia up and down, "And your derriere could use some work – try some crunches perhaps? Anyways, if I were you I wouldn't even bother with Tala, really,"

The girls exchanged glances upon the blonde's departure from the washroom, "What an effing bitch," Julia was the first to remark before taking a look at her own butt in the mirrors.

Mariah only glared at the bathroom door as if she could see right through it, watching after the female dog as Hilary voiced her opinion, "Looks like you have some competition,"

"Competition, mompetition," Julia waved off, "He's mine so that cunt can just back the fuck off," They exited the washroom and lingered around at the entrance with a round of martinis. Everyone was hanging here for the time being; other than teams they were familiar with, there were plenty of new ones as well.

Hilary discreetly turned around, "Here comes Fakey Bakey,"

"Ming-Ming," Julia and Mariah muttered in unison.

"Oh my gosh! Hey girls!"

A repelling look replaced Mariah's features but she quickly got rid of it, "Hi Ming-Ming – where's the rest of your team?" Instead of Garland, Brooklyn, Mystel, and Crusher, a good ten to twelve girls surrounded her, all of them dressed up and glamorous.

"Silly, silly," Ming-Ming grinned, "Didn't you hear? I ditched the group to join the BBA cheerleading team," She jabbed a finger at the girls, "Mr. Dickenson hasn't picked a captain yet but I'm running for it!"

"Good luck," The pinkette wished.

"Thanks! Anyways, see you 'round! By the way, you guys look fab!" With that, the annoying high pitched squeaky noise that was Ming-Ming was gone along with the girls.

"So," Julia beamed and glanced over at Hilary, "Any stories about you and Tyson yet?"

"Unless you and I do something about it," Mariah cut in, "Hilary's _never_ gonna have stories about Tyson," Suddenly she looked beyond the two and pointed outwards, "I see Kai,"

The half brunette-half blonde sighed, propping an elbow up on Hilary, "Can that man be any finer? Forget Tyson, go for him," She straightened up finally, "If he's here then that means the rest of the guys are here which means Tala's here! So do I look okay? Do my boobs look too small?"

The pink haired girl rolled her eyes, "Are you seriously going to believe what that dumb bitch said?"

"Well these _are_ A's. Thank God for push ups,"

Keeping their eyes near the entrance gates, they'd finally caught sight of the rest of the Russian team making their way inside. Every single one of them looked good – including Ian – and the heads of every girl turning verified their allure. They were to the BBA what Justin Timberlake was for Hollywood, what Lebron James was for the Cavs – well not anymore – and what Spain was for the 2010 World Cup: the 'it' guys. It was like the Men in Black walking in...except there was more than just two guys.

Their shortest player let out a small wave to acknowledge he'd seen them and undoubtedly, the team stopped by the girls first. While Tala and Julia swapped praises towards each other, Mariah greeted the rest of the team, as Kai, having known Hilary the most – at least that was his excuse – made small talk with the brunette.

_Very_ small talk. Of course he wanted to make it 'bigger' but he just couldn't seem to step up his game. "You look good, Kai,"

"Likewise," He meant it of course. A coral frock suited the girl adequately and she looked wonderful, just like he always thought she did.

"Thanks!" It was at the specific moment Hilary noticed that same blonde girl barge into their crowd once again. Julia and Mariah seemed to have noticed but instead of taking the matter into their own hands, they waited for the guys to. They were the Blitzkrieg Boys, quite possibly the most hardcore, fearless, and insanely straightforward team the BBA had to offer. It was the duo haired girl that hoped for an outburst from the boys the most, preferably from Tala himself; that would show the bitch.

But when he didn't do anything and just let the girl hang around him, Julia looked over at the blonde and then at Tala, "Do you know her?"

"Unfortunately..." The redhead muttered before elaborating, "This is Dylan, she's my sister," But judging by the expression on all the girls' faces, he felt compelled to ask: "Do you guys – did you guys meet already?"

In an instant, Dylan let out a laugh, "I've never met them before," She watched the girls, "Have we been acquainted ladies?"

With Hilary and Julia temporarily immobile due to the bolt from the blue, Mariah took over quickly, "No, we haven't,"

"Exactly," The blonde smiled before her gaze fell to half-and-half, "You must be Julia. It's a pleasure to meet you; Tala told me _so_ much about you, you're almost famous. You look lovely, by the way,"

"Let's get to our table guys," Bryan supplied to which Dylan nodded.

"We should. So see you at the after party?"

"We'll be there," The White Tiger replied for everyone.

"Coolness,"

But as she led the rest of the team to the dining area, Tala stuck around. Something was very off about the encounter, "Are you _sure_ you guys didn't bump into her?"

Before Julia could go off, Mariah slapped a hand over her mouth, "Never seen her,"

"Alright, I'm gonna see if they found our table,"

"This is definitely the highlight of the year," Hilary commented as they watched the redhead's retreating back.

"Why'd you lie to him about Dylan?" Enquired Julia.

"If you like him, you can't get on his bad side," Mariah explained, "You don't need one little rodent to ruin everything for you – that's probably what she wants anyway,"

"So the prick has a sister," The three looked over their shoulder to find Lee, "What the hell do you see in that imbecile anyway?" The question was directed at Julia.

"Did you take a good look at him? Because I don't think you did; he's hot as hell,"

Lee only rolled his eyes before placing a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Come on, Mariah, dinner's about to start,"

Meanwhile, the Blitzkrieg Boys were successful in finding their reserved table and Dylan was successful in sitting next to Kai. After a brief welcoming speech from Mr. Dickenson, dinner had begun, and after dinner, everyone separated from their tables and teams. Most people headed straight to the bar of course.

"Kai! What's up man!"

Oh how the mere sight of Tyson horrified him. "Hn,"

"Lighten up," He laughed, handing the slate haired blader a Corona, "How've you been? Who was that chick you were with?"

"That _chick_," The redhead seemed to come out of nowhere, drink in hand, "is my sister and because I know what you're thinking and what you're gonna ask, I'll be kind enough to provide you with a two-worded answer: fuck and no,"

The last bits of information seemed to go completely over Tyson's head as he gaped at Tala, "You have a sister?"

Rolling his eyes, he gave the world champ a pathetic look, "Get lost, dick,"

Eventually he got lost...taking Kai with him. Apparently Ray, Max, and Kenny were with them, engaging in some sort of a mini reunion. Although it was never verbally admitted – and even though it didn't even _seem _like it – Kai valued his old teammates and they were all close friends. Well, at least as close as he'd let them be. And as much as he made it look like he hated Tyson, the Dragon was in fact his most cherished companion.

"You guys seen Julia?" The redhead asked around the table which only consisted of Bryan and Ian at this point, "Couldn't find her anywhere,"

"You'll see her at your place anyway," Ian shrugged casually before his eyes fell on something at the dance floor, "K, wow..."

Curious, both Bryan and Tala followed his gaze. The scene was shocking, disgusting almost. Sucking face with Garland was Dylan, and whether it was a drunken act or passionate, it was hard to tell. The redhead who was so energetic just a few seconds ago seemed to be disturbed; with no kind of communication, he only grabbed his drink and left the hall.

Bryan pushed away from his chair, followed by Ian, and the two marched over to the incident, ripping the blonde away from Garland, "Go near her again and I'll break your fucking face,"

Dylan didn't do much, instead she only chuckled as Ian dragged her away, mouthing and motioning a 'call me' to the silver-haired boy over her shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" The ruby-eyed blader shouted, "I really didn't think you were being serious, Dylan. Tala saw that,"

"Even better," She grinned, plopping down at her table.

Sensing foul play, Bryan raised a brow, "So you did that on purpose?"

"Does that matter?" She enquired rhetorically as she picked at a napkin, "He's a good kisser,"

The lilac haired teen sighed, "Look Dylan, I know you and Tala don't get along but that was unnecessary,"

"If the asshole has a problem with that then he's just being selfish and I know Tala, he's a very selfish person,"

"That's not true," Ian argued, "I mean, honestly, no homo, but he's a great guy. I live with him, I'd know,"

"And I'm his sister, I'd know too,"

"What the hell would you know about Tala? You haven't seen or talked to him for _five_ years. We all know him way more than you do. The only selfish person here seems to be you; he's trying to look after you and you don't give a shit about him,"

"Alright," Bryan butt in before the dispute could escalate, "That's enough,"

To that, Dylan only rolled her eyes and the subject was dropped. Besides, they had other things to worry about, like the after party and stopping at a liquor store before it closed. The Blitzkrieg Boys reunited at the parking lot and after picking up as much liquid gold as would fit in the trunk of the Supra, they headed home before their guests arrived.

Hurriedly putting all the alcohol on the dining table, Tala caught a glimpse of his sister walking into the kitchen and...bunny ears? Turning to face her, he only wrinkled his nose at her inappropriate outfit. It kind of looked like a one piece swimsuit with fishnet stockings and some strappy black heels. It was lingerie, really, mostly white with a little black working, and of course, on the top of her head, bunny ears. Why the hell a seventeen year old girl even owned such pieces of clothing was beyond him – he'd really rather not know about his sister.

"What the fuck, Dylan?"

"Do I look like a slut?"

"Yes..."

She smirked, "Good,"

The redhead only rolled his eyes at let go of the matter. By 1 AM, teams had started arriving and most of the Blitzkrieg Boys – minus Ian – got the shock of their life. _Every_ chick was dressed in some kind of slutty costume: the nurse, the cop, the naughty school girl, a cat, a mouse, you name it, they were there. After finding out Dylan had 'edited' the after party invitations, things finally made sense. They didn't mind though, in fact, they genuinely enjoyed the experience of having make-believe strippers roaming around their house.

Not many of the guys had bothered with a costume, just the occasional Superman t-shirt hiding under their dress shirts and a few cowboy hats made up the scene from their end. It was when Michael of the All Stars entered the house with two kegs the real party started, "TIME TO GET FUCKING WASTED!" Came his declaration followed by a shitload of 'yeah's' and 'woots' and drinks in the air with some LMFAO playing in the background.

And get wasted they did.

Everything from getting high in the washrooms to randoms making out on the staircases to drinks getting spilled all over the house to drunken girls stumbling around looking for their friends that had long gone hooking up with some stranger to a completely smashed Tala getting 'arrested' by Julia the police woman happened.

Standing by the wall, Kai watched the scene that was his house getting turned upside down. The count of people was an easy 100, if not more. There were people here that he'd never even met or seen before. Looking around, he spotted the bunny walking around the house with a bottle of Belvedere in one hand and some kind of mixer in the other, filling up people's drinks. She didn't seem drunk herself, in fact, if he remembered correctly, she had maybe one or two shots in the beginning and just a cocktail afterwards. He wondered why she wasn't taking advantage of all the drinks available to her. Nonetheless, he watched as she finally made her way over to him and start filling up his empty cup.

What should have been a couple of parts of the mixer and only a little part of the Belvedere ended up being _all_ parts vodka for him. As he raised a brow at her, she gave him a lame look, "Don't tell me you're a lightweight,"

There was nothing 'lightweight' about the amount she'd given him; it was so obvious she was just trying to get him drunk. Challengingly and acceptingly, he chugged some down. Beaming, she left him be and continued with her journey, refilling a few others' drinks before heading upstairs.

What she needed to do was to pee but with four-five guys in the washroom upstairs smoking up – and the washroom downstairs locked for God knows what reason – it was impossible. Rolling her eyes, she headed to her room when she found the door slightly ajar; the door had been closed before people got here. No one better be on her bed! Pushing the door open, she didn't find anyone on her bed but she did find two on her brother's bed: himself and Julia.

They hadn't done anything, that part was evident, they were still completely clothed and nothing seemed out of place. She could only assume that they'd had too many drinks, possibly made out and then passed out.

"Silly bitch," Dylan muttered, shaking her head before going downstairs. She scanned the living room before spotting a timid looking girl standing by herself. Baby pink hair and baby pink eyes made up her important features and she was small. Without wasting time, the blonde approached her right away, "What's your name, hun?"

"Mathilda,"

"Cool," Dylan nodded with a smile before grabbing her hand and dragging her upstairs, "So I need a favour,"

"Aren't you Tala's sister?" Questioned the girl as she was practically yanked.

"Mmhmm; don't see the resemblance, do you?"

"N-not really..."

Dylan gestured the girl to be quiet by placing a finger on her lip. With the instruction out of the way, she brought the girl into her room and towards the sleeping figures of her brother and Julia. Tugging at a single strand of her own hair, she used it to trace over her redhead's arm – it was a good way of seeing if the person was actually asleep or awake.

Safe.

Unlatching his arm off the girl's waist and walking around the bed, she took a hold of Julia's arms before looking over at Mathilda, "Grab her legs,"

Evidently scared, the pink haired girl took a step back, "W-why?"

"You'll see in a second. Now do it," She whispered to the shorter girl. Hesitant for a bit, Mathilda finally did as she was told and followed Dylan's motions of heaving her off the bed and transferring her to the ground, "That wasn't so hard, was it Mattie?"

"It's Mathilda..."

"Well now it's Mattie," She led the way out of their room, closing the door behind them. Before Mathilda could escape, she put a hand on her shoulder, "What happened in that room, stays in that room,"

"Why did you do it?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Because she's a bad girl and bad girls can't always have what they want,"

"But Julia is a really nice girl,"

"Whatevs. Anyways, if anyone finds out about our little secret then everyone's going to find out who my accomplice was," She smiled as she brushed some of Mathilda's bangs over to the side, "And you wouldn't want to get into any sort of trouble, would you sweetie?" As the girl quickly shook her head, Dylan made her conclusion, "Good. Now come with me, I'll make you a rum and coke,"

Agreeing to keep the secret of sabotaging Tala and Julia's potential relationship, Mathilda headed downstairs with the blonde – Dylan's height and domineering personality was enough to intimidate her into doing whatever she was told to do.

The drink station – the kitchen – was nearly full; people walking in with empty cups, people walking out with refilled cups, and people fighting to get the last drop of whatever was running out. Finding the two ingredients, Dylan filled up a glass and handed it over to the pink haired girl, "Enjoy, hun,"

Taking her first sip, Mathilda coughed, "It's too strong,"

"You'll get used to it," Patting her over the head, Dylan left the kitchen and unluckily for Kai, she had found him. He couldn't blame her though; he'd been standing in the same place for some time. He couldn't help it, it gave him the perfect view of Hilary from afar. She had a pair of cheetah ears on the top of her head and with whatever drink in her hold, she stood by the windows in the living room conversing with Tyson.

_Flirting_ with Tyson.

Tyson had a great life, great charisma, he was the world champ and now he was going to take Hilary too? Well it wasn't his fault, it wasn't like Kai went around telling everyone about his stupid crush. Ugh, _crush_. When had that even developed? He couldn't remember entirely but he assumed it was about two years ago.

"So you like her but she likes him but he's not into her,"

The blonde's voice next to him startled him. "Hn," He wasn't about to admit anything. How females were always able to tell the story without knowing the facts never ceased to amaze him. Alas, she was right, especially about Tyson not being into Hilary. Yes, he was _talking_ to her but he was _just_ talking to her. All her attempts at trying to take things further weren't being reciprocated.

"You're _never_ gonna tap that ass if you're just waiting around here," She added, "If you wanna go talk to her, I'll go with you so you don't feel like a third wheel,"

"None of this is your business so stay out of it,"

She chuckled, "Fine I'll lend you a hand. Don't chicken out,"

Kai looked over at the blonde with the corner of his eyes; what the hell did she mean she was going to lend him a hand? He felt her move away from him suddenly and make her way over to Tyson and Hilary. She basically just cut into the middle of them and proceeded to talk to the bluenette...and _only_ him.

There was no doubt at all Tyson was interested right away, especially when she became slightly physical with him, loosely hanging her arms around his neck. And the shock and awkwardness on Hilary's face was unmistakable, hints of anger and jealousy present.

It just got worse from there.

What seemed to be mildly dirty dancing turned into Dylan pecking him on the lip quickly and randomly. Truth be told, Kai really wanted to see how Dragoon's master would react to such a thing. Both his brows raised in surprise when he watched his former teammate grab a hold of the blonde and return the favour, only on a more raunchier level, the both of them groping each other in all and unsystematic places, her bunny ears falling off in the process, good Lord.

He caught a glimpse of the other Bladebreakers across the room; Max making eye contact with Kai and showing him a thumbs up, Ray mouthing a 'holy shit', and Kenny's mouth gaping open and close as if to attract a flying cockroach to lay its' nasty eggs in there.

It was fascinating to see Tyson had finally matured...not exactly the maturation Kai was looking for, but this was definitely a lot more interesting.

* * *

**And so they meet...**what did you guys think about that? Is it exactly how you pictured it would go? Or differently? Btw, YES this is Kai/Dylan; I don't want anyone being confused over the last scene. Remember, everything in my story has a purpose!

**Thank you x 100 to...**

**Peroxxide Priincess – **You're guess is a good one. And about DLS, I'm half way done the next chapter...and I'm stuck again. I'm trying to figured out what else to put in the chapter! I was thinking of just updating with what I have but it's pretty short! I'm hoping it will be up in the next 2 weeks?

**Miller92 – **When I read your comment about Tala being bi and Raul getting introduced, I spit out my vodka cran (now you owe me some vodka!). I'm a very visual person so I pictured those two...then Julia came out of nowhere...and then the whole concept of Julia and Raul being siblings weirded me out and I was just oh shiiiet. Damn you and your imagination! (In a good way! ...I think!)

**Crazingonbeyblade111**

**SouthernDragon**

**Crying Sorceress – **YOU DONATED BLOOD? How'd it go? How much blood did they take? God, just talking about needles gives me a tingle in my ass. It's the same one I get when I see a cockroach...

**iEXIST – **I read your profile and you were asking whether you were a girl or guy...I think you're a chick! Am I right or wrong? And I'm only basing this b/c of your picture you have! And their ages will be revealed as the story continues. Not everyone will be the same age. And if you have brothers...I feel for you. My brother's 16 and I remember when I was 4, I kept asking my mom for a brother...definitely need to be careful what I wish for!

**Darial Kuznetsova – **FINALLY! SOMEONE NOTICED THE CARS! OMG YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! And...if you have a fiancé, how old are you if you don't mind me asking? ALSO! In your profile pic...is that Tala? With his hair down?

**Desastrus – **Tala just wants Dylan to leave! Leave his house, leave Russia, leave Europe...possibly leave planet Earth! And truth be told, it is VERY hard to keep Kai in character. He's kind of OOC in my other story.

**Tanzy – **I'm a sister too, I feel your pain.

**Missconfus3d **

**Just a girl**

**Ninja2K**

**CryMeOut – **My ex boyfriend sister's (all 3 of them!) got involved in our relationship too. But it was on a completely different level; they never met me or anything, I doubt they even knew my name...but they'd keep searching me up on Facebook and saved my pictures and went around showing other people and asking if I looked like a slut. It was so strange! His younger sister saw me putting on LIP BALM in the washroom and went around saying I was a whore b/c only whores put on lip balm...omg!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The after party was a success. And most certainly interesting. It was at six in the morning when people started leaving the Blitzkrieg Boys' house, Bryan making sure no one stuck around to sleepover.

Unless they really had to.

That seemed to be the case for Kai as he found _two_ chicks sleeping in his bed together. Who they were, he didn't know but they were in his room.

And thus, he found himself on the couch the next morning. Along with a pleasant surprise. Or maybe not; it would have been pleasant for any other guy though. He found a Playboy bunny on himself...no pun intended.

While he had fallen asleep sitting up, his head tilted back in an attempt to use the cushioning of the couch as a makeshift pillow, Dylan had made herself at home on his lap. With her head on the armrest, her butt on him and squishing his you-know-what, and her legs using up the rest of the sofa, she appeared to get what you would call a goodnight's sleep.

Maybe he had too, after all, his left hand was resting on one of her lady lumps, her hand over his and their fingers interlaced. He tried to pull his hand back immediately, positive she'd forcefully put his hand there on purpose. By now, Kai was convinced Dylan was one of those 'dangerous girls' that Akon and Kardi had sung about.

Trying to rip his hand away from her was an epic fail. She rolled over, holding it close to her chest and even tighter. At last he had freed himself and it was when he went to push her off him he realized he was in an even worse dilemma. The charm bracelet around her wrist had decided it wanted to hold onto his pant zipper.

He was horrified when he heard someone in the kitchen. He hoped it wasn't Tala – that would just be plain weird, awkward, and wrong. Fearing the person would come into the living room, he grabbed the blonde as best as he could and fled up the stairs to his room, thankful those girls had left.

Laying her on the bed and resting one knee on the mattress, he got to work with the stupid piece of jewellery and his zipper.

"Good morning, Kai," Still on his bed she stretched slightly before looking downwards, "Good morning, Morning Wood,"

Did she really have to say that? Ignoring the inelegant observation, he continued fiddling with the two things. He couldn't even take _off_ the bracelet, it was the clasp of it that was stuck to the zipper and he sure as hell wasn't going to take his pants off in front of her.

"Shall I give you a _hand_?"

As he carried on with the task, he only sent her a glare, one that told her _not_ to try anything funny with him.

Ha, dream on, Hiwatari.

It was by _far_ the most violated he had ever felt in his life when she began flicking at the tip of his man part with her finger. She didn't do much else and she didn't do it continuously, just at random, and only smirked when he gave her an irritated look.

"So did you and Hilary have fun last night?"

"Hn,"

"You didn't make a move even after I took care of Tyson for you?" She sighed, "You and I have a lot of work to do," He raised a brow at her briefly as if to say 'yeah right' and hence, she provided him with his fate, "You're preposterously gorgeous but unless you fix yourself up for Hilary you can forget her, she's Tyson's. And I can see why: his tongue does a lot of work for him – he definitely knows what he's doing in that department,"

Although she felt that need to add in that extra fact, Kai could have gone without knowing such thing about his friend. However, it did make him wonder just what the hell kind of wild 'adventures', if you will, Tyson had been up to for him to become so 'experienced'. With one last tug of the bracelet, he was liberated!

He pointed over at the door, "Get out,"

"Is that how you treat all your women in the morning?" But as he only continued to point towards the door, she had another question, "May I sleep here?"

"No,"

"Tala and Whore-lia are _using_ my room,"

Narrowing his eyes and disbelieving, he walked over to the redhead's room to take a look for himself. He couldn't be that stupid to 'use' his room while he was sharing it with his sister. Pushing the door open and poking his head inside, he only creased his brows at Julia on the ground – what kinky shit they had done for her to end up on the floor on her face, he'd rather not know...

Once he came back to his room, Dylan had already tucked herself into the middle of his bed. She glanced over her shoulder upon his presence, "You can join, you know; bunnies like to be played with,"

Instead, he grabbed some clothes from his closet and looked over at the time; a little past 10 in the morning it read, "I expect this room to be vacant by noon," Having said that, he headed for the washroom. But it was a disaster in there. Cigarette butts in the shower, empty beer bottles and coolers in the tiny trashcan and around it, and to his disgust, a condom behind the toilet.

Curious – and afraid – to know what the rest of the house looked like, he went back to the first floor, those signature red cups scattered all over the place, used tissue, God knew what else. Stepping into the kitchen, he realized there was no one there but when he heard something from the basement, he decided to check it out. Pulling the door open, he was mildly shocked by the number of people _trapped_ inside because of the broken door. A dozen people poured out, most of them hung over, some of them thanking Kai on the way out, others asking where the hell they were. Of that mass included Spencer, Enrique and Johnny of the Majestics, Miriam of the Saint Shields, and people that Kai just didn't know.

"We need to fix this fucking door," Spencer stated the obvious.

"No kidding," Miriam rolled her eyes, "There are no windows down there and no reception," She waved around her cell phone. After several more complaints, they'd taxied it back to their respective hotels.

And after cleaning up one of the washrooms as best as he could, Kai gave himself a much needed shower. At last, he was in the kitchen making himself the same drink he always made for himself. As he stirred the contents with a spoon, he felt someone behind him and immediately knocked the cup over into the sink, letting the liquid disappear down the drain.

"Moron," Bryan commented as he reached for another cup from the cupboard and poured himself some coffee before holding out the pot towards Kai. Casually the slate haired blader accepted, having his cup filled up, "This place is trashed," The lilac haired boy commented.

"I have eyes,"

Bryan rolled his eyes, "Well go wake up Ian and Tala, we need to fix this place,"

"I'll get Ian,"

"Yes, and Tala,"

"Julia slept over,"

"_Oh_...okay," Bryan nodded, "Didn't think he was gonna score a goal that fast,"

Seeming indifferent about the situation, Kai found himself on the top floor once again to get Ian out of bed. He made a detour on his way, however, dumping the coffee from his cup into the toilet and flushing it down.

**x x x**

Still in an embrace, Mariah patted the top of Hilary's head. The girl had been crying nearly the whole night and no amount of ice cream seemed to patch up the situation.

"She kissed him! She kissed Tyson! And she did it on purpose, you could tell!"

The pink haired girl sighed, not completely sure what to tell her BFF, "Well he said he wasn't looking for anything serious so _obviously _that wasn't anything serious. Besides, he was drunk,"

Pulling away, Hilary wiped her tears with a tissue, "You should have seen them. They were _all_ over each other, it was disgusting. She's such a slut,"

"I heard she made out with Garland during the formal,"

The brunette's eyes widened, "Skank!"

"I know," Mariah agreed, "I can't believe I thought she was gonna be a _guy_,"

"I really just wanted to kill her last night. I mean who the hell does she think she is? She doesn't know me, she doesn't know Tyson or Julia or any of us. What the hell is her fucking problem?"

"Look, we're two years older than her so what's immature to us isn't immature to her. She's in high school, she has that high school mindset. It's only been a day, let's see what happens, I have a feeling she'll just get bored and stop if _we_ don't do anything," A knock sounded on Hilary's suite door, indicating a visitor. Right away, Mariah shot the brunette a look, "That better not be Emily,"

"For someone who's talking about immaturity, you're pretty immature," The red-eyed girl rolled her eyes as she made her way towards the door.

"I _hate_ that girl,"

"Emily's not that bad," Hilary whispered before pulling the door open. Luckily for Mariah, it wasn't the All Star. Unluckily for Hilary, it was Tyson.

"Hey," He greeted, "I didn't see you downstairs for breakfast so I thought I should come check up on you," He paused, "Your eyes are red, are you okay?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I just didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all,"

"Oh okay," Tyson exhaled out loudly, "Anyway, are you coming with us for training?"

"I will, just let me know when you guys are leaving,"

The bluenette bobbed his head and grinned while he proceeded to make his exit, "See you around then!"

Closing and locking the door, Hilary leaned against it and looked over at Mariah who'd gone unseen during the whole exchange, "He didn't care at all! He didn't even apologize!"

"Yes because he doesn't _know_ you like him,"

There was brief silence before the emotional nineteen year old decided to give one more outburst, "I bet she fucked every single guy in that house!"

**x x x**

Subsequent to putting the Blitzkrieg Boys' household back in order, Kai marched up to his room to get the slut out of there. Besides, he'd given her an extra two hours over her time limit to sleep in. It was around the same time Tala woke up in the other room. Yawning, he stepped off the bed only to be startled by a girly scream as he stepped on...a head?

Instantly pulling his foot back, he bent down and helped the girl up, "Did you fall off?"

Julia rubbed the back of her head, "I think you kicked me off,"

"...I don't kick girls off my bed," If anything, he made sure to _keep _the girl on his bed. Nonetheless, the speculation ceased to continue as both suffered from a bad hangover. After a while, the two headed downstairs where Bryan and Ian were preparing lunch. Everyone else was in the kitchen as well, Dylan Facebook-ing with Ian's laptop, Spencer taking a peek from the chair next to her, and Kai just sitting there with his arms crossed.

The younger Ivanov looked up and smiled, "Did you sleep well?"

Julia only narrowed her eyes at the blonde before grabbing a seat at the table, "I feel disgusting,"

"You look it too, hun,"

At once, Tala glared at his sister before turning to Julia, "She's just playing,"

"No I'm not," Dylan refused, "She looks filthy, look at her hair," Reaching across the table, she placed an 'adoring' hand over Julia's, "Did you even shower, sweetheart?"

The redhead swiftly made his way behind the blonde and closed the laptop furiously, his way of telling his sister to shut the hell up or _else_...

Luckily Bryan made a better attempt to diffuse the situation by calling Dylan over to help him with lunch. While the others were occupied by a discussion at the table, Ian approached the blonde, "What is your problem?" He whispered as he cut up some lettuce, "It's obvious Tala likes her. Why are you trying to ruin it for him?"

"If he has a problem with me and Garland, don't you think it's only fair for me to have a problem with him and Julia?"

"Is that what this is really about? Because I have a feeling that's not the case. You don't even like Garland; you're just doing it to piss Tala off and besides, I heard about your little 'encounter' with Tyson last night. Look, Julia is a nice girl, we've all known her for a long time and she's our friend; stop being a bitch to her,"

Dylan laughed, "Oh, alright!"

And as the blonde made her way over to the fridge to get out some things, the indigo haired boy only creased his brows – he knew she sure as hell didn't mean that. It was true: the prettiest people did the ugliest things.

After lunch – which had gone smoothly, thank God – Tala was to drop Julia off at her hotel. While he put on his jacket, he watched Dylan race down the stairs, coat and winter hat on, ready to go out. Before he could ask, she killed his curiosity, "Mattie left this here last night," She held up a gem encrusted hairclip, "Since she's staying at the same hotel as Julia, I'll just go with you and give it back to her,"

"Who the fuck is Mattie?"

"Mathilda,"

"_I'll_ give it back to her," The redhead offered, "You don't have to come,"

"I don't think so," She pulled back the hair clip, "She told me last night you scare her,"

"What the hell?"

"You scare a lot of people, Tala," Dylan reasoned, "Your face is meant for Halloween," And as he rolled his eyes, she continued, "Besides, I just Facebook-ed her and told her I'd be coming over to give it to her,"

"Okay, I know Mathilda," Tala started, "And I know she would never associate with someone like you. _You_ probably scare her, not me,"

"Are you kidding me, hun? Red hair, blue eyes – you look like Chucky from Child's Play. And I don't see what the problem is if I come," She raised a brow, "Unless of course you don't want me around because your car isn't the only thing you'll be riding,"

"Dylan!"

"I can't think of any other reason why you wouldn't want me going with you to return a simple hair clip to someone,"

Tala opened the closet to find his shoes. And a baseball bat. He was sure Julia would help him with the deed. Too bad he didn't find one in there.

"_Fine_," He said at last, "You can come," The ride to the hotel was short, silent, and _very_ awkward. Of _course_ he wanted privacy with Julia! Was that so hard to understand? What, in the name of all that was good and holy, was her deal? He was beginning to get very fed up with her, almost enough to call up his parents to let them know he'd be sending her back and _they_ could deal with her. After all, they were the parents! Why the hell did they have to send her here? She was ruining his fucking life!

"Are you coming upstairs with me?" Julia asked once the car came to a stop in front of the hotel. Nodding, the redhead got out of the car as did the atrocious creature. As they entered the elevator, Julia smirked as she pressed 17 for herself and then 11 for Dylan, "Her room's 1105. Have fun,"

"And what room are you staying in? I'll come back when I'm done giving this back to her,"

"_I'll_ come pick you up from Mathilda's," Tala said when the elevator doors opened. Strolling down the corridors of the eleventh floor, the blonde found the suite. Knocking on the door, she found herself standing face to face with a blonde boy.

He made a face at her, "Aren't you Tala's sister?"

"Yes. Is Mattie here?"

"Mattie...?"

"Mathilda,"

"Uh yeah. But why?"

Dylan rolled her eyes, "Honey, do I look like a criminal to you?"

"...no,"

"Then why are you playing Police Officer with me?"

Miguel sighed before opening the door fully and letting her inside. What someone like _Tala's _sister wanted with a girl like Mathilda was beyond him. He led her to Mathilda, nonetheless, and the pink haired girl was just as surprised to see the blonde.

"Um, hi..."

Dylan smiled, "I brought you a present," She held up the clip.

The shorter girl eyed the clip and then the Californian, "Why?"

"Because," She moved closer to the pink haired girl, braided her pink bangs to the side and clipped the brouch in place, "I thought it would look hot on you,"

Touching the clip, Mathilda ran to the washroom to check for herself. She had to admit, it _did_ look good. Going back to the blonde, she smiled, "Thank you,"

"Anytime, hun. So which room is Julia staying in?"

"1709,"

Leaning over the bed, Dylan reached for the hotel phone situated beside the bed. Dialling something quickly, she waited for the line to be connected, "Hi, security?" She twirled the cord around her finger, "Yes, I'd like to report a possible terrorist threat from room 1709."

**x x x**

Just when things were heating up and going to the next level, the door was kicked open viscously. Actually it was just the hotel manager who opened it with a spare key card. Instantly, Tala and Julia sat up in bed, straightening out their clothes and everything else, wondering _why_ there were twenty Russian cops and even some American intelligence personnel piling into their room.

With guns.

"Hands in the air! Right now!"

Exchanging very confused – and mildly terrified – glances at each other, the two nineteen year olds followed the orders.

"Where's the bomb!"

"What bomb?" Tala wrinkled his nose. The only 'bomb' in said room was the one in his pants...and it hadn't even gone off yet.

One of the U.S. authorities motioned two cops over, "Strip search him."

* * *

**About the story - **Yes, yes, YES! (No that was not an orgasm) This is a Kai/Dylan story. Like I said, it MAY not seem like that (at least from Kai's part) but READ BETWEEN THE LINES! And yes, I also know Dylan is a bitch. That's just how we bitches roll.

I'm just playing.

Also, as to why Dylan dumped Julia on the floor was so that she can't sleep with 'Chucky'. Clearly, she doesn't want Julia and Tala anywhere near each other.

**The Big Scare – **No I'm not pregnant. The laptop that I'm using belongs to my university (which I was supposed to return way back in January) and seeing as it's not mine and I'm gonna return it (someday) anyway, I obviously don't take good care of it. I never shut it down, I always leave it on my bed and it heats up, I always carry it by the screen using one hand...and so it finally died on me. All my chapters were in it (and I'm kinda dumb, I don't back anything up) and the laptop wouldn't turn on and I was like 'holy eff, holy eff'. So I call up Best Buy and they're like "Yeah, we can retrieve your files for you...for $89" and I'm like aw fuck, am I seriously going to spend $89 retrieving CHAPTERS of a story I upload on fanfic? And I was debating (when I probably shouldn't have) b/c my stories are REALLY important to me and it was just killing me to know that all my chapters were just gone but at the same time, $89...I mean that can get me a lot of lace-trimmed sexy Victoria's Secret panties. And other things.

So after 'flirting' with the Best Buy guy, he charges me $39. So I'm like, shit, fine. I come home and my brother (he's 16!) takes a look at the laptop, LAUGHS, and 'fixes' it in literally 30 seconds.

THIRTY SECONDS!

30!

...The 39 I spent on retrieving my files is PROBABLY the STRANGEST, most STUPIDEST thing I've EVER spent my money on (and I'm a spender...I spend on really stupid things...I buy Hello Kitty bandaids...but this takes the cake). Honestly, like I just wanna rant on for another 10 pages but that would just be strange...

Did anyone even read all that? (If I was a reader, I'd be like fuck you man, I ain't reading all that).

**Thank you to the following for reviewing chapter 10!**

**Rmiller92**

**Crying Sorceress – **There are such things as co-ed frats?

**Waffles**

**SouthernDragon – **Tala and Julia aren't together YET!

**iEXIST – **It'll be a while before anything happens with Kai and Dylan? I wouldn't count on that :P

**Darial Kuznetsova – **19 and engaged? You MUST tell me how it is! I'm turning 22 in September and my dad's on my ass about getting a boyfriend and all that good stuff, my God. And the pic of Tala actually looks good! I always wondered what he would look like if his hair was 'down' (is that the right term to use?).

**Sasukechica**

**Peroxxide Priincess**

**Just a girl**

**Desastrus – **Tala and Julia aren't together yet! They're in that 'I like you, you like me, let's fuck' stage. Gosh, that was a bit foul. Just ignore the 'fuck' bit. Anyways, she just tossed her on the ground so that Julia can't have her way, that's all lol.

**Missconfus3d**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Three hours of being strip searched, questioned, arrested, and then questioned all over again regarding the location of the bomb that never even existed in the first place, a very pissed off Tala was finally released from the police station with the aid of Bryan.

In fact, Julia was in pretty much the same situation and Raul and Romero were at the station as well, filling out forms, asking for explanations and giving explanations. Of course since she was female, she was treated way less harshly than her male counterpart.

All of this because some anonymous imbecile had reported 'something suspicious' in Julia's hotel room.

F-Dynasty and the two members of the Russian team took a single taxi back to the hotel: the team of three because that's where they were residing during the tournament, Bryan and Tala because they had to pick up the car and Dylan from Mathilda's.

When they got home it was already time for dinner, but instead of joining the rest of the team in the kitchen, the redhead isolated himself in his room. The meal was eaten mostly in a state of uproar as members of the Blitzkrieg Boys wondered why such a thing had happened and who could have done such a thing.

How startlingly naive of them – didn't they know they were living, breathing, sharing the same cups and plates, and bunking with the devil?

It was Ian who had finally changed the route of the conversation: "Did anyone take pictures from the formal or the party last night?"

The blonde raised an arm, "I did. They're on my camera," She spooned some of her food, "I'll put them up on Facebook."

Finishing up, the bluenette headed upstairs to pick up a few tools for his cars from his room. Exiting his room, he dumped the things in the hallway while he relieved himself in the washroom. It was in the middle of urinating he felt the bathroom door click open. "Ian, get the fuck out of here," He remarked; he never really locked doors, no one in the house did, and thus walking in on people and hurriedly pardoning themselves – or laughing at the other person just to make them feel more awkward – was common in the household.

But when there was no sort of reply and he didn't hear the door close, he looked over his shoulder only to be, well, devastated – for lack of words – by Dylan's presence.

She had seen it.

She had seen the snake out of its' cage.

She had seen the car out of its' garage.

She had seen...his thingy.

And she wasn't leaving. In _fact_, with her turquoise eyes as wide as saucers, her mouth open in disbelief, one hand placed over her chest in astonishment, she leaned over slightly to get an _even _better look. The uncomfortable sensation could not be described for Kai. He couldn't even shield himself without having pee fly everywhere; how unsightly that would be.

As he quickly zipped up and flushed, she finally snapped out of it. Well, almost. Washing his hands, he didn't bother glaring at her or saying anything – this was one of those situations that would be best if ignored and forgotten and never to be mentioned ever, ever, _ever_ again. To anyone. Not even God.

That didn't mean she didn't have any opinion: "Honey, that thing is a blessing."

Acting as if she wasn't even there, he quietly and casually checked out of the washroom. Grabbing his pile of things, he journeyed to the garage. That was quite possibly the most ridiculous episode of his life – he was sure it topped Tala getting arrested for being a 'terrorist'.

The phoenix _almost_ laughed; did Tala seriously think he had it bad? Because if so, the redhead must have been a goddamn pussy. What Kai had been put through by Dylan for the past couple of days couldn't even be compared to a little name calling, refusal of orders, and bitchy attitude the older Ivanov was dealing with.

And she was just _such_ a dirty little slut. Heck, even Tala knew his sister was a skank, he just couldn't admit it. The number of guys she must have been with probably surpassed the number of numbers that existed in the numerical system. She was one of those girls that a guy would love to spend one night with but definitely not wifey material.

Popping the hood open, he took a look inside for perhaps the trillionth time that week. Slight progress was made when Kai discovered it really _wasn't_ an engine problem. He was stunned further when he realized it was, as Dylan had hinted, a transmission problem.

But he wasn't happy. It was just plain embarrassing for him. He was a _guy_, a specie known for its' extensive – and unnecessary – knowledge of automobiles and all things electronics. That her clues were even correct made him feel very inadequate; it made him angry, really. He didn't ask for help, he didn't need help, and he sure as hell didn't want it. He could take care of the problem. Besides, he knew a lot more about cars than the average guy did; this was just a slight little issue he was having that he knew he could overcome.

To hell with a mechanic and Tala and Ian's criticism.

Before he could get started, he could hear someone running around the house, the footwork getting closer to the garage. Looking towards the door, he waited until to his annoyance, it was Dylan all over again. Except this time she had his iPhone with her and as it rung, she held it out, "Someone's calling you,"

Snatching the phone out of her hands roughly, he checked the caller ID before answering the call, "What do you want Tyson?"

"Yo Kai! A bunch of us are going out for drinks, wanna come?"

"A bunch?"

"Yeah!"

"Such as..."

"Me, Hilary, Max, Mariah, Ray, and Kenny,"

With the phone still held to his ear, Kai glanced over at his car that he had planned to make more love to. Ahh, fuck the car tonight, the mention of Hilary had him sold, "Hn," He turned his attention back to the phone, "Give me the time and place," With the details, the conversation came to an end.

"So what'd he say?"

"None of your business," He stated without eye contact. As he began leaving the garage, the blonde chased after.

"I know it was Tyson. Does that mean Hilary is going?"

"None of your -"

"If you want alone time with Hilary, I can keep Tyson busy for you again,"

He didn't say anything to her. Instead, Dylan only followed the stoic nineteen year old up the stairs, pausing when he had stopped by her brother's room. Without bothering with a knock, she watched him poke his head inside, "I'm taking your car out," Whether Tala was asleep and hadn't heard the declaration didn't seem to bother Kai much. Finally, just as the blonde was about to head back downstairs to watch TV with Ian and Spencer, the bluenette had given her a newfound purpose: "Go get ready."

Of course, between watching TV and going out for drinks with the tab on Kai – or Tyson, depending – she'd picked the latter. Some heels, dark skinnies, a strapless teal top that cupped the girls and flowed out baby doll style, and she was ready to hit the lounge.

As for him, some jeans, an unbuttoned plaid shirt with a white tee underneath, sleeves slightly rolled up and some Jordans was his choice. And his choice was very much like his hair: careless, a little messy and undone, and looked _very _good on him.

Think Shia Labeouf.

"_You_ and _you_ are going out?" Ian raised a brow as Kai opened the door.

"Do you have a problem?"

The indigo haired boy rolled his eyes at the retort from his teammate and just went back to watching the news channel. Outside, Kai approached the Supra only to have Dylan jog in front of him and get into the driver's seat, locking the door in the process. Grinning, she nodded her head over to the passenger seat.

"What are you doing?" Came the understandable enquiry as the bluenette got in.

"Um hello?" She jingled the keys before starting up the car, "Now you're gonna be Mr. GPS for me,"

"Do you even know how to drive?"

"You have to be more specific, hun: do I know how to drive a car? Or do I know how to drive you?" Not waiting for an answer, she reversed out of the driveway and glanced over at him, "Because I can do both, the second if you give me permission,"

"Permission declined, always and forever,"

She chuckled and drove slowly to the stoplights in the neighbourhood, "So which way?"

"First of all," He rested an elbow by the window and held onto the handle above, "What's happening now _isn't_ happening, meaning, Tala will never know that you were driving,"

"He'll never know I was driving the car or he'll never know I was driv -"

"The _car_," He was quick to clarify before moving onto the next prompt, "Second, we'll be taking the highway so unless you're not afraid, I suggest we switch seats,"

"Do I look like Testicle-less Tala to you? There's a reason my parents named _him_ 'Tala' and _me_ 'Dylan' when we all know it should have been the other way around; they knew I'd have more balls than him without even physically having balls,"

"Third, we're late," He turned away from her and returned his gaze to the road ahead, "And this is a 'fast car',"

Understanding what he was trying to get at, she smirked. She started her drive again and waited for further instructions on which route to take. Entering the highway, she noticed the difference between Los Angeles and Russia in a heartbeat: the roads weren't smothered with cars, no smog stretching across the horizon – yes it was night time but when it came to haze, nothing compared to L.A. – and no palm trees. And she was taking full advantage of that of course! Speeding where opportunity was given, cutting across cars she felt were too slow, squeezing in between the tiniest spaces, and changing a whole bunch of lanes in one move.

**x x x**

Laughter, jokes – both corny and dirty – and good times made up the elements at the booth Tyson and the rest were at. No one was drunk...yet...but they were all at that 'feel good' stage. The seating arrangement was very simple: two seats decent for up to five people separated by a small table in the middle for drinks. While Tyson, Hilary, and Mariah occupied one seat, the other was taken up by Max, Ray, and Kenny.

Holding onto the world champ's hand, Hilary giggled at the most recent joke – courtesy of Max – and rested her head on Tyson's shoulder. While he was too busy laughing, Mariah only nudged the brunette, winking in the process.

Maybe tonight would finally be the night when Hilary confessed her 'undying love' for Tyson and Tyson would realize 'hey, yeah, me too!' and they'd engage in a sappy romantic kiss to seal the deal.

The vision of the miracle was cut short, however, when Mariah spotted Kai entering the lounge in the distance...with Dylan right by him. Right away the pinkette tapped her friend and motioned towards the blonde, a look of horrification replacing Hilary's features.

"Hey! There's Kai!" Tyson announced, standing up. As Kai only 'hn-ed' at his ex-teammate, Dylan wrapped her arms around the hat clad blader.

"You look _really_ good, Tyson," The tone was undoubtedly flirtatious and as she discreetly pulled him over to the opposite seat, Kai took the cue to take up Tyson's now empty seat and sit beside Hilary.

"So guys, you probably met her last night," The dragon begun, "But this is Dylan,"

"Hey," Kenny adjusted his glasses, "You're Tala's sister,"

"Unluckily," She expressed evident detest. Waving off the matter, she grinned and looked around, "So who wants to do shots?"

And so it began.

Rounds and rounds of cocktails, martinis, beers, jagerbombs, shots, Red Bull vodkas, and anything and everything were ordered. And Dylan was doing an excellent job at keeping Tyson 'busy'. While she coiled a piece of his navy hair around her finger flirtatiously and made sure that his attention was on her and _only_ her, the Russian on the other seat decided to take advantage of the situation.

Well at least he tried. Every other second the brunette would lean over and whisper something into Mariah's ear and vice versa. "So how've you been, Kai?" At last, she'd taken notice to the Blitzkrieg Boy beside her.

"Well,"

"That's good. How about the rest of the team?"

"They're all fine,"

"Oh, that's good too," Hilary smiled to which he gave a brief nod before taking a swig of his beer, "So since this is my first time in Russia, do you recommend any places for me to see?"

"You're sitting in one,"

"Oh,"

"It's in all probability the most popular place to be on a Friday or Saturday night,"

"Oh, that's interesting. Did you -" When she failed to finish what she was going to say, Kai raised a brow at her before following her ruby orbs to the seat ahead of them. The display of Tyson and Dylan kissing wasn't surprising for him but it had upset Hilary.

In fact, if Kai was able to judge correctly, she looked like she was about to cry. Before that could happen, Mariah got to her feet, "Alright guys," She pulled Hilary to a stand as well, "We have to go,"

"Already?" Max asked, "None of us have a battle tomorrow. We can stay a while longer,"

The pink haired girl smiled, "_You_ guys stay. Hilary and I have to wake up early in the morning to do something," And with the barter of goodbyes, the two girls made their leave from the lounge.

**x x x**

"But...I can," Came the slurred beginning of whatever she was trying to say to him, "...drive...ing..."

Indifferent about the situation, Kai continued to hold onto and drag the blonde out of the lounge and towards the parking lot. They found their car and while she leaned against the frame, he felt both his pockets for the keys by habit before remembering Dylan had drove. "Give me the keys,"

"Obama said we can,"

Exasperated, he made a noise of frustration before holding her by the shoulders, "You're drunk, you can't drive, and it's not even my car. Now give me the keys," He watched her reach into her little purse, pull out the keys, and rattle them in front of his face. He made a grab for them but was surprised when she pulled them back and in a fast move, tucked them down her top.

Kai exhaled out loudly, "Just give them to me,"

"Go fetch,"

Was she being serious? Was he seriously expected to shove his hand down her top? Was that appropriate? Was it _even _legal? Oh, let the law and inappropriateness be damned; he reached in while looking the other way but when she grabbed a hold of her chest and began giggling uncontrollably he stopped feeling around.

"What is it this time?"

"You're tickling my boob,"

Oh for God's sake...this was _so_ wrong on so many different levels. He tried once more, she laughed again of course, but this time he just got out the damn keys. Helping her inside, he made his way over to the driver's seat. He'd had a couple of drinks himself, but not to the point where his driving skills would be impaired. At least he didn't think so.

"Kai..."

"What?"

"I want a cheeseburger,"

Well it was better than 'Kai, I have to throw up'. "Fine,"

"Is it going to taste like home?"

Ignoring her, he drove out of the parking lot and onto the roads. Finding a McDonald's nearby, he got her a stupid cheeseburger and continued his drive home. Finally at their driveway, he got out of the car and made his way over to the front door of his house.

When he realized the blonde didn't follow him, he looked over at the Toyota to find that she hadn't even come out of the car. Strolling back to the vehicle, he pulled her side of the door open. With more than half her burger still in her hands and her head tilted to the side, she'd gone to sleep. Resisting the urge to curse, he unbuckled her seatbelt and picked her up, tossing the burger aside.

Once indoors, he travelled up the stairs and down the corridors, passing by Bryan's room first, then Spencer and Ian's, until he reached hers'. Pushing the door open with his back, he entered quietly and dumped her on her bed. Instinctively, she rolled over to her side somewhat, one arm stretched across the mattress and dangling off the bed.

What should have been just that with Kai leaving turned into him reaching for his phone and using the light from there to examine the silver band around her ring finger. He twirled it around as best as he could, managing to read the word 'for' this time. When a small light flicked on from the redhead's side of the room, the bluenette's head shot up to find his team captain sitting up on his bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"What are you doing, man?"

"Putting her to bed; we were outside,"

Tala looked over at the clock, "It's 4 AM," Making a face, he looked back at Kai, "Dylan went with you?"

"I asked her to come. I'll explain in the morning,"

"Uh...okay..." He strained his neck to get a better look at the blonde, "She drunk?"

"What does it look like?"

Instead of being concerned or worried about his sister like Kai had somewhat expected, he watched the redhead leap off his bed and grab a Sharpie from a table. Looming over the blonde, he yanked a string of his own red hair and moved it around her face. With no reaction from Dylan, Tala smirked and looked over at his teammate, who, unsurprisingly, gave him a pathetic look, "That's how you tell whether someone's asleep or not," And with that, he uncapped the marker and hovered it over her face.

Only to have the Sharpie snatched out of his possession.

"Not on her face,"

Tala rolled his eyes at Kai and took back the marker, "Fine, asshole," And thus he opted for the back of her hand. After drawing the inappropriate hairy male anatomy, the redhead stared at the 'masterpiece', "What do you think, Kai?"

"I think you're real mature, Tala."

* * *

**Regarding the last chapter - **Some of you made a comment about the 'sexual' Kai/Dylan part. Well people, let me tell you, there's going to be a WHOLE lot from where that came from. Most of the stories that I read out there about romance are really lame, no offence. It's not even that realistic. I don't know if any of my readers have ever been in a relationship, but I only write realistically. Anyways, I'm curious: What is THE sluttiest thing you've ever done with a guy? If you feel you are too young, too conservative, never been with a guy before, or you just feel this question is inappropriate, you don't have to answer.

And in case the term 'sluttiest' is degrading to any one, then let me rephrase: What is the kinkiest thing you've ever done to a guy? (Boyfriend, ex boyfriend, random guy, one night stand, "friend", whatever, etc)

If people answer, I'll answer it too in the next chapter. Anyways, I think everyone's going to enjoy chapter 15. I update pretty fast so you won't have to wait too long, but I can tell you that you'll probably like it.

**Thank you!**

**Desastrus - **I worked for Telus and Bell (Canadian cell phone networks) and I always read fanfics on the demo iPhone so I know how you feel!

**Darial Kuznetsova - **Wow, so you were engaged at 18? Is it going well so far? I always tell my parents that I may be one of those women who marries and divorces a lot. And they got scared. Well I'm scared too - I don't wanna go broke! Anyways, I saw the pictures, they were amazing! And not to sound like a lesbian, but you're an effing hot chick.

**Crying Sorceress - **Def. flirt with guys at Best Buy. They'll kiss the floor you walk on.

**Peroxxide Priincess**

**iEXIST **


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The fact that Dylan had only gotten two hours of sleep didn't seem to bother Tala much. Training was training and whether she was part of the team or not, she still had to go out with them. Being a girl, she took longer to get ready than the guys had and was therefore the last person to come downstairs for breakfast.

As cruel as it was, the redhead was looking forward to seeing her reaction to the 'illustration' he'd drew on her. When she smiled and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a seat beside him even, he realized she probably hadn't noticed.

That was until she randomly placed her hand on the table for everyone to see. His drawing was still there and from the looks of it, she hadn't even tried to wash it off. Along with the sketch, she'd decided to put a little caption of her own. With an arrow pointed to the art, 'TALA'S ACTUAL SIZE' was visible in legible writing.

Taking one look at the thing, Bryan only sighed and went back to drinking his coffee, and while Spencer and Ian cracked up, Kai was, as per usual, uninterested by the circumstance. Frowning, Tala got up and yanked the blonde off her seat and proceeded towards the sink where he began washing off the atrocity.

Unfortunately for him, soap and water – and nail polish remover, alcohol, hand sanitizer, _more_ soap and water – were nothing compared to the staying power of a Sharpie. Accordingly, with the bribe of twenty bucks, she was to keep her mitten on that hand when they were in public.

**x x x**

The training session had elapsed for a little over thirty minutes. While Spencer, Kai, and Bryan engaged in a three-way practice battle, Tala was instructed to take apart his beyblade for Ian. In doing so, the redhead immediately furrowed his eyebrows at the foreign substances observable inside his beyblade. Touching it and rubbing his two fingers together and even having a whiff of it, he recognized it to be the motor oil of a _car_. The other material he identified as anti-freeze.

"You fixed it?" He held it out towards Ian.

The indigo haired boy stopped his key-stroking at once and took a look at the grey beyblade. After speculation, he put together the beyblade and handed it back to Tala, "Try it. Use the engine gear,"

Nodding, the team captain strolled towards the dish and launched the blade where three others were already battling it out. Following the pick of Spencer as an opponent, he released the engine gear and called out an attack before looking over his shoulder at Ian.

Staring at the laptop screen for few more seconds, the ruby eyed boy glanced at his team captain, "It's working fine. You're good,"

And after expressing appreciation towards Ian for resolving his issue, Tala went back to training, giving the other team members specific orders on what to do and what he expected.

During all this, Dylan wasn't present. Why would she be? After all, she had the possibility of bumping into Garland again. Maybe this time she could invite him over for dinner; she wondered just how much the redhead would like that. Enjoying the idea, she continued strolling down the hallways of the recreation center and instead of bumping into who she had hoped to bump into, she found Mathilda by the water fountain.

"Look who we have here," The blonde smirked, "What are you doing, hun?"

"Training with my team,"

"Cool," Dylan nodded before pulling the pink haired girl by the hand, "Let's get something from the cafe downstairs,"

"B-but I have to go back to my team!"

"They'll understand if you're a little late,"

"But -"

Stopping abruptly, the blonde turned around, "I _said_ they'll understand,"

Slumping her shoulders, Mathilda bobbed her head in acceptance. She was brought to the first floor where the cafe was located. Ordering two milkshakes, one banana, one strawberry, they sat at a small square table for two. "So," Dylan took a sip of her drink, "Mattie," She smiled as she looked at the girl, "How old are you, hun?"

"I'm turning 17 in a couple of weeks,"

"Cool. Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No..."

"How many guys have you fucked?" Instantly, the cheeks of the pink haired girl went a coral colour, the question being answered in itself, "Virgin, then," Dylan deduced, "Interesting. Anyways, I have to ask you something,"

Mathilda looked up apprehensively, "Is it about Julia?"

"Aren't you a smart one?" The blonde looked amused, "Yes it is. And Hilary and Mariah,"

"But Hilary and Mariah are really nice..."

"I never said they weren't. So, first question: is Julia Tala's ex girlfriend?"

"I don't think so. They've always liked each other, I think,"

"How far have they gone so far?"

"W-what? I...I don't know..."

"Have they ever officially gone out?"

"Not that I know of," Mathilda paused, "Are you going to do something mean to Julia again?"

"Is she your friend?"

"Well, kind of. We're not that close. I only talk to her, Mariah, and Hilary sometimes when we're all in one place together,"

"Acquaintances, then,"

"I guess," The younger girl fiddled with the straw in her milkshake, "Why did you kiss Tyson?"

"Because he's cute,"

"Hilary has liked Tyson for four years...I heard she was very upset. She's been crying,"

"How unfortunate. So, tell me everything about Julia,"

"Um, well, she has a brother, Raul; he's 17," Mathilda tried to think up more facts on the F-Dynasty member, "She liked Tala first, two years ago. Oh, um, and, Mariah used to like him too..."

Dylan's raised a brow, "Really..."

"Are you going to tell her I said that?"

"Do I look stupid to you, sweetie?"

Mathilda relaxed slightly, "So yeah, Mariah used to like him and I _think_ he did too,"

"And?"

"And Lee kept getting in the way so they kind of just gave up,"

"Who is this Lee?"

"Lee is Mariah's brother,"

"I see. Why did he keep getting in the way?"

"He doesn't like Tala; he thinks he can't be 'trusted'. It has something to do with the tournament that happened five years ago," Sipping on her milkshake, she raked up another reason: "And because Tala's not really 'boyfriend' material,"

"As in he's a loser or he's a man-whore?"

"Well...he's not really a loser...so the other thing..."

"Ah,"

"From what I've seen and heard, girls come and go for him. He's not very serious about them..."

"That's probably what _he_ goes around saying when the truth is that girls just aren't serious about him. He's just dumb, unattractive, useless, and boring, Mattie, and no girl wants a dumb, unattractive, useless, boring guy; I mean, do you?"

"No..."

"Exactly. So how come you don't have any friends, Mattie?"

"I have friends..."

"The ones in your head don't count, hun,"

"I have a friend named Miriam,"

"Is she real?"

"Yes and she's on a team. She's staying at the same hotel as me,"

"Well isn't that nice," Slurping the lasts of her milkshake, Dylan got up, "Anyways, looks like you have some company. Love ya biatch," Blowing her a kiss, the blonde left the cafe. Not completely comprehending her words, Mathilda looked around, surprised to have spotted Mariah and Hilary.

With some coffee in their hands, both girls took a seat at Mathilda's table, "What were you doing with _her_?" Hilary enquired.

"I don't know...talking?"

"Do you even know who she is, Mathilda?" Asked Mariah in an attempt to make sure.

"Dylan?"

The White Tiger nodded, "That girl is bad news. I wouldn't socialize with her if I were you,"

"But she seems...nice,"

The brunette burst into laughter, smacking the table for emphasis, "That _thing_ isn't nice! She's a life ruining bitch! Haven't you heard what she's been doing? She's dangling Tyson in front of me, she's been picking on Julia, and since you're a really nice girl, she's probably trying to take advantage of you for her sick little ideas,"

Mathilda bit her bottom lip, "But she bought me this milkshake,"

"She didn't buy the milkshake," Mariah stepped in, "She bought _you_,"

Upset by the newfound information, the baby pink haired girl looked over at her watch, "I'm so sorry guys but I have to go back to training. Catch you later," Tossing her empty milkshake into the trashcan, she ran out of the snack bar.

**x x x**

Taking the elevator to the designated floor, Dylan walked down the hallway to reach the Blitzkrieg Boys room. That was until her ears picked up on something: "B to the B to the A to the...to the...this isn't working!"

It sounded an _awful_ lot like a cheer. A really bad cheer. Following the voice, she found herself standing in front of a door, peering into the room through the small glass panel. A group of girls, perhaps ten to twelve of them, all hurdled around a tan, aqua-haired girl who seemed to be giving them instructions. After that, they all put their hands in the middle before shouting something and raising them in the air, followed by a couple of girls jumping, some yelling 'woots'.

Having clearly had enough, Dylan invited herself into the room.

"Who are you?" Asked the aqua-haired girl immediately.

"Better question: what _is_ this?"

"The BBA cheerleading squad,"

Dylan looked over at the girls and then shifted her gaze over to the bright haired girl, "_Seriously_?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"There isn't _a_ problem," The blonde glanced at the group and sneered, "There are _problems_, with an 'S', like plural, as in this is a disaster. Can these girls even do a back flip?"

"They're learning,"

The blonde looked sickened, "I will like throw up right now," She clapped her hands a few times, "Ladies! In a line please! Now!" Although confused for the first few seconds, the order was followed and a line-up was formed. Dylan strolled over to one end and took a good look at the first girl, "Your hair is disgusting; invest in a straightner," With that, she moved onto the next, "Just because this is Russia doesn't mean you can look like a vampire; get a tan," And she continued, providing each girl with a 'suggestion', "You need to smile. You _don't_ need to smile. Get rid of that stupid Monroe piercing, you look like an imbecile. Your brows are making you look like a cheap prostitute; fix them. And you need to lose some serious mass, hun; in cheerleading we throw people in the air and girls with a massive behind don't go up as high,"

"Okay, just _who_ are you?" The high-pitched girl enquired.

"Dylan,"

"Dylan...Ivanov?"

"Apparently,"

"Then you must be...Tala's sister?"

"It's absolutely flattering that you know who I am when I have no idea who the hell you are,"

"I'm Ming-Ming,"

"And you're their captain?"

"Captain-to-be,"

"And who's in charge of actually picking the captain?"

"That would be me," Both Dylan and Ming-Ming, as well as the other girls, looked towards to door as a chubby elderly man walked inside.

**x x x**

Today's training was a success for the Blitzkrieg Boys. Then again, every training session was a success for them. They pushed themselves hard, possibly harder than any other team out there. This year they wanted to strip the BBA Revolution of their winning title; four years was a _long_ time for Tyson, and Daichi, to remain number one.

As Bryan passed around water bottles, Ian read the stats off his laptop, "Spencer had the most improvements today, Bryan had the least, only Kai managed to use Dranzer to full capacity, and Tala, your engine gear is working perf -" He paused as the doors to their training room was pushed open by Dylan, and with her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips, she stood there.

All eyes on her, just the way she liked it.

And expected.

There was nothing surprisingly about her presence of course, but it was what she was wearing. Her outfit consisted of a blue full sleeve crop top..._very_ crop, exposing a liberal amount of her belly and midriff. The V-neck – which didn't reveal cleavage but was most certainly teasing especially with her BFF locket dangling close to the vicinity – was hemmed in a golden yellow colour. As for her bottoms? A _super_ tiny blue skirt with golden yellow pleats sat low on her frame and a pair of white runners finished everything off. With 'BBA' stitched on the front of her top in the same yellow, she looked an awful lot like...

"Holla at your new BBA cheerleading captain, bitches."

* * *

**REVIEW GUYS! REVIEW! **What's going on with the reviews? It's slowed down significantly! If you're reading this, REVIEW! If you have nothing to say about the chapter, then at least tell me about your day! I always write something at the end of my chapters! Come on, people.

**Slut question – **No one answered the question from the last chapter (What is the sluttiest/kinkiest thing you've ever done to/with a guy?) except for two readers! Are you guys shy? You guys are making me feel like a skank. Anyways, I'm going to leave this question open for the reviews again b/c I wanna know! We're all girls here, don't be shy, let's share our stories. Besides, I've been told I'm pretty kinky. If people answer the question this time, I'll go into details in the next chapter.

Oh, I was simply TALKING to this ridiculously gorgeous Siberian/Russian/whatever guy last night and I don't know what it was I did or what the hell it was that I said, but 5 minutes in he tells me I made him horny. To the point where he wanted to strip (what a show tha would have been). Perhaps I am magical. And ladies, he's 6'1 and works out, so use your imagination.

**Okay, YOUR TURN! And REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**And xoxo to...**

**SouthernDragon**

**Desastrus – **How old are you?

**Native-kitten**

**Darial Kuznetsova – **Don't say you're butt ugly! Honey, you're gorgeous! Def. something to look at! Go buy some lingerie for yourself and give your fiancé a show!

**Crying Sorceress – **I LOVE Shia. To a sickening level, really. And how can you NOT have seen Transformers? My God, woman. He's just such a guy-ish guy and I love that in guys lol. And the drunk guy with his head in your boobs, was this OVER or UNDER your shirt? I wanna know! It wasn't TMI!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

The Blitzkrieg Boys had finally come home for lunch after practice at the recreation center. And Tala was not content. The _last_ thing he needed to hear was that Mr. Dickenson had picked Dylan to be the captain of the BBA cheerleaders, overthrowing Ming-Ming in a matter of seconds for the position.

"Let's just be happy for her, alright?" Bryan advised at the lunch table.

"How the fuck can you be happy for her? The reason my parents sent her here in the first place was to get her _away _from Harbour's stupid cheer thing. Now she's just gonna act like she's the shit all the time,"

Dylan cast the redhead a look, "Um hello? I _am_ the shit, Tala,"

"Dylan, you're a _piece_ of shit,"

"If I'm just a piece, you must be an entire log,"

"You're the whole nutty-looking shit in the toilet bowl with pieces of recycled corn and spinach in it,"

While Ian opted to gag at his team captain's _description_, Bryan muttered something that sounded similar to 'for fuck's sake', and just like Dylan's first night in the house, Kai pushed his chair back and left the table, Spencer shoving away his plate in disgust. Shrugging, Tala reached for Kai's uneaten sandwich and had it for himself.

"Anyways," Dylan rolled her eyes, "I have to stay after school until 7 on Monday,"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" The redhead remarked, "No student needs to stay after school until 7. Schools close up at 4. If all this is about a guy then you don't need to sneak around; as long as it's not any of my friends and you don't come running to me asking to buy you a fucking pregnancy test, I don't care who you're seeing,"

"Me staying after school isn't about a guy, it's about an assignment that I have. And since you have absolutely no issue with me and boys, I'll be inviting Garland over for dinner this week," She smirked, "Unless of course you have some sort of _problem_ with him,"

Ian creased his brow, "You already know whether they have a problem or not; I told you about it,"

"Did you?" The blonde looked towards the ceiling as if deep in thought, "Because I just can't seem to remember right now for some reason," She looked over at the redhead, "But I think it had something to do with Garland kicking your ass a couple of years ago? I am _so_ sorry to hear about your loss, Tala, I really am. Maybe when he comes over he can teach you a thing or two?"

An awkward and uncomforting silence filled the table as Tala just stared at his plate and continued with his lunch as if nothing had happened. Of course that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't pissed off – he was furious. For the bitch to bring up something she knew nothing about was just...ugh. The thought of everything that happened two years ago made him angry: Garland, Boris, _everything_. She didn't have the right to make comments about that event or anything in his life.

She didn't know him like that.

Unlike her, he didn't just freeload off his parents, he had to work _really_ hard for everything he had and everything he learned. He wasn't complaining that she led a luxurious life and he didn't, and he wasn't exactly mad at his parents for kicking him out of the house when he was only fourteen either – he deserved it. As a kid he was much worse than Dylan could ever have been: he was hanging out with older kids, he was experimenting with substances he probably shouldn't have even known about at such a young age, he was dating older girls, some of them three years his elder, and he was an all-round bad kid. And he would have been worried too if he caught his future son or daughter smoking up some of that good ole' Mary Jane before they'd even hit puberty. He could see why his parents were concerned.

Five years later and he'd cleaned up pretty well. He'd still enjoy a smoke or two – and a girl or two – every now and then, but what guy his age didn't? Besides, his parents had originally sent him here for a year; after a year he was supposed to go back to California and continue with his life. But after 365 days of punishment, he _personally_ chose to stick around in Russia.

"Our first battle is tomorrow," Spencer killed the stillness with a change of topic.

"Yeah," Nodded Bryan, "We're against a local team and they're new so we won't have a problem. But we'll go over everything we need tonight," He looked over at the team captain for approval.

"Actually," The redhead said, "You guys will have to do that without me and fill me in tomorrow; I'm going out with Julia for dinner,"

"Barf,"

The lilac haired blader instantly sent Dylan a look, one that translated into 'that's enough'. He steered the conversation to yet another direction, "We still haven't fixed that dumb door," He nodded over to the basement.

Tala looked down at Ian, "You fix it,"

"I fix everything around here; last time it was the cable lines. _You _fix it," The indigo haired blader crossed his arms, "Unless you don't know how to,"

"Obviously _she_ doesn't," Dylan agreed, fiddling with one of her dangly Chanel earrings.

The redhead glared at the blonde and his teammate before his gaze shifted towards the basement door, "I'll do it tomorrow after our battle."

Silly, silly, silly Tala – don't you know, sweetheart? Tomorrow's a day that _never_ comes.

**x x x**

Julia, Mariah, Hilary, and – to the White Tiger's distaste – Emily, all crowded around the F-Dynasty blader in her hotel room. With a number of clothing laid on the mattress, including some on the chairs and the floor, the Spanish athlete turned to her friends for advice, "What should I wear?"

"I'd say just jeans and a nice top," Came Hilary's suggestion.

"Or you could do this," Emily pulled at a skirt on the floor, "Maybe even this," She added, nodding her head towards a dress.

Confused, Julia focused on the pinkette, "You've dated him before, you should know what he likes,"

Mariah rolled her eyes, "For the millionth time, Tala and I never dated,"

"Hm, just another one of his flings, then," Emily adjusted her glasses with the conclusion.

"Oh, you mean just like you were with Max?"

"Guys, just stop," Hilary interfered between the two foes. They never did get along and that always made things a little awkward for Julia and the brunette.

"Yeah, back to _me_," The blonde-brunette beamed.

"Actually I'm curious about this Dylan character," The All Star diverged the topic again. Though she'd seen the girl from afar at both the formal and the after party, she was too preoccupied with other people to actually talk to her. Besides, the Blitzkrieg Boys really didn't interest her as much as they did other girls.

"She's bad,"

"_Really_ bad,"

"So bad,"

"I see," The ginger stated, "Well then, I have no business with her,"

"Good choice," Hilary nodded, "She kissed Tyson at the party and when we were all at that bar together,"

"Then why don't you," Started Emily, "just steal Tyson back?"

Julia snorted, "This idiot hasn't even told him that she likes him,"

The tennis player gave the brunette a pathetic look, "Then don't complain. If he's not claimed, he's fair game,"

The bad thing about Emily was that she was very straight up. The good thing about Emily was that she was very straight up. It was both an advantage and disadvantage. People like her – _friends_ like her – were very much needed in every clique; it was the person you could trust to get an honest answer out of, and every once in a while, everyone needed that brutal honesty. If you looked ugly in something, she'd tell you, if you were treating your boyfriend like crap, she'd tell you, if you were acting like a moron, she'd tell you.

Unfortunately sometimes it was just too frank and not something your ears wanted to hear.

But Hilary knew Emily had a point: since she hadn't _claimed_ Tyson, he was fair game. The only thing that made it so much worse was the fact that he was 'fair game' to a girl she highly disliked.

**x x x**

With an hour to spare before dinner with Julia, Tala plopped down on the couch and switched on the television. He flipped the channels a couple of times before stopping when he found _Predator_ airing, the original with Arnold. From the scene in the movie, he assumed he'd only missed ten or so minutes. Making himself comfortable, he turned up the volume.

Out of nowhere, he felt someone literally jump into the seat next to him and shove something onto his lap. Looking over to his side, he found Dylan, a pink pen in her hands and her calculus textbook now on him. "I need help," She verbalized at last.

"With what?"

"With all the questions that are circled,"

Eyeing the page in the textbook, he frowned – he did _not_ want to go through fifty questions of calculus with his sister. What sort of a teacher assigned that many questions anyway? Apart from that, he found it a little odd that she'd actually come to him for assistance; he was sure her first choice would be Ian or Bryan.

"I'm on this one," She pointed out the question she was working on currently, "I don't get it,"

"What don't you get?"

"Fuck, I don't know," She shrugged, "I just don't get it,"

"Do you know what differentials are?"

"Would I be asking for help if I did, retard?"

Giving her a look – which she'd ignored on purpose – he read over the question. Snatching the pen out of her hands, he began scribbling the solution to the problem in her notebook.

"Where the hell did the 5 come from? Julia's ass?"

"No, dipshit," Tala denied, "I got it from here," As he explained, she nodded a couple of times. While they had moved onto the next questions, Kai had come back to the main floor to get himself a snack. While he checked in the fridge for something, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation – if you could even call it that with all the unnecessary mocking and swearing – between the two Ivanovs'.

"Why is there a goddamn triangle?"

"How can you _not_ know what the fuck that symbol is? It means delta,"

"Like the hotel?"

"You fucking dumb ass; no," The ripping and crinkling of paper was heard, followed by more details, "Since you're inexpressibly stupid, we'll use the letter 'd'; so 'dy' and 'dx',"

The discussion continued as Kai searched the grotesque appliance that was the fridge. Honestly, it was a mess in there: food rotting beyond recognition, half-eaten things, things that should have been covered up with saran wrap, things that nobody was going to eat, ketchup stains here and there, stains that Kai had no idea what the hell it was and would rather not know.

He slammed the fridge closed; he'd lost his appetite much like he did during lunch. Besides, it was nearly dinner time anyway and Bryan would make something soon. For now he could wait or have a beer. Deciding with the latter, he reached into the fridge all over again and as he did, he could hear someone stepping into the kitchen. Without looking back, he could tell it was Dylan; unlike every other person in this house, her footsteps were light and women-like.

That and the fact that it definitely didn't make the whole house shake like it did when _some_ people walked around.

Truth be told he was surprised when she hadn't said anything to him, almost as if she didn't even notice he was in the kitchen. Regrettably he'd spoken, or thought in this case, too soon. It was unexpected, inappropriate, happened too fast, and quite possibly of S & M nature.

She had spanked him on the bum.

Straightening up and holding onto the fridge handle with one hand, he looked over at her hoping to scare her away. Instead, she took his staring to her advantage, "See something you like?"

"Unfortunately not,"

"Fantasizing, then,"

"Wrong again," And as she laughed it off, he let go of the matter as well, but not before commenting on an absent piece of jewellery, "You're missing an earring,"

She reached for her ears to find that sure enough, one of her golden Chanel earrings had gone astray. After eyeing the kitchen floor, she shrugged her shoulders, indicating that losing an earring wasn't that big of a deal – daddy could buy her another pair. Grabbing a beer, Kai searched the countertops and drawers for the bottle opener and in doing so, he noticed the blonde pour orange juice into two glasses. Of course that was odd in itself – why would she bother getting something for her brother? The even more bizarre story to that was her stirring the juice with a spoon. And she'd only done that to one glass.

Realizing she must have put something in one of the drinks, he looked on discreetly; was that drink for herself? Or for the redhead? As she left with the two glasses, he poked his head out of the kitchen and watched quietly as she set the drinks on the table, the one he suspected to be spiked with whatever towards Tala and the untouched one closer to her.

She couldn't possibly try to poison her own brother and kill him, could she? Yes, she was a bitch, no doubt, but to feed him something lethal would just be absurd. She was mean...but not a criminal, right?

Deciding against any sort of confrontation, he chose to observe the situation further. If anything were to happen, he'd have to take the team captain to the hospital. The redhead had taken a few sips of the orange juice already and so far seemed to be fine.

"So 'dy' over 'dx' means the change in 'y' with respect to 'x',"

Halfway through nodding, the blonde creased her brows in confusion, "...what?"

Tala yawned and looked over at the time, "I have to go pick up Julia in thirty minutes. Go ask Ian for help, maybe he'll explain it better,"

"And maybe if I tell mom and dad that you'd rather go out with some girl instead of help me with my calculus, they'll see what a dickless little wonder you are, cut off your funds, and take me back to L.A.,"

Ah, the beauty of blackmail.

Making a noise of frustration, the redhead began his clarification for perhaps the billionth time. And it was _so_ ridiculously and painfully boring he caught himself yawning after every other word, feeling drowsy at just the sight of her math book. At last, she took the notebook and pen, "I'm gonna try to do a few questions. Tell me if they're wrong,"

From the kitchen, Kai continued to work 'undercover'. As pledged, Dylan did a few questions by herself, turning the notebook towards the redhead every so often only to have him nod or fix up a few mistakes. Ten minutes later, it appeared as if Tala was fighting to keep himself awake and another ten minutes afterward, he'd gone to sleep.

Going to sleep at 8 o'clock was very unusual for him. Putting two and two together, Kai could only assume what the substance in his drink was: sleeping pills.

At the forty-five minute mark when he should have left the house fifteen minutes ago to pick up Julia, his Blackberry rung on the coffee table. The slate haired teen watched as the blonde exchanged glances between the phone and the redhead before reaching for the communicating device.

"Hello?" She answered with a smirk, "How nice of you to call Julia, sadly he's not available to speak to you at the moment. Looks like he's just not interested in dinner. Or his date. Stop trying, hun. K-thanks-bye."

Disconnecting the call and switching the phone to silent, she casually grabbed her belongings and headed upstairs leaving behind a redhead knocked out by diphenhydramine hydrochloride and a witness in the kitchen.

* * *

**Rating of this story.** I've realized that some people reading this story are REALLY young! And there's going to be mature themes in this story so I'm going to change the rating to M (as soon as I figure out how to do that). If you still want to read it, by all means.

**Slut question.** Let's just say whatever Dylan does to Kai isn't entirely a fictional story...

**Eat da poo poo.** DID ANYONE SEE THIS VID ON YOUTUBE! If you did, you HAVE to tell me what you think about it! If you DIDN'T, then here's a little warning: the content is highly homophobic and if you're sensitive to such things, don't watch it. I understand that this is a serious matter and all but I found it intensely hilarious...it's even on my iPod (the autotuned version, check that out too if you're interested). The part at the end where he's like "As if that's not enough, he puts his hand DEEEPA!" cracked me up so bad.

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS GUYS! You'll REALLY enjoy the next chapter!**

**sasukechica**

**ZuZu-Chan – **Don't tell yourself you aren't cute! There's no such thing as not cute, not beautiful, not hot.

**SouthernDragon – **My brother drew a dick on my foot once.

**Crying Sorceress – **MCAT? Holy crap, good luck! Some of my friends wrote that and they said it was really hard! And ew to asexualism. And MS-Word is telling me that asexualism isn't a word...And yeah I know I'm not getting many reviews b/c of the frequent updates but I do it b/c I don't want the fandom to die completely :|

**iEXIST – **GUESS WHAT! NOW I KNOW YOU'RE A GIRL! :P I wish your dad was sort of like mine b/c mine's all over my ass about getting a boyfriend now. Apparently being single for 8 months is too long...wtf?

**Darial Kuznetsova – **Do you mean literally 8 kilos? I don't know how much 8 kilos is lol that's why I'm asking.

**Waffles – **LOL! Your story cracked me up hahaha! I pray to God that never happens to me :S

**xxz0eyxx – **You had the best answer for the kinky question haha! I will try that one day! When I need a favour! LOL!

**CryMeOut **

**Just a girl – **Wow 14 day holiday? Where did you go?

**Native-kitten – **Yeah the last chapter WAS shorter than the others lol. The longest was chapter 10. And you dirty girl! For making the guy jizz! Haha!

**The Master of the Hobos – **She's going to be nice at the end? Haha, I don't know...people don't change that fast :P


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

By 2-something in the morning, everyone was in their respectful rooms and Kai was ready for bed. Usually everyone in the house enjoyed watching a little TV after dinner or before bed, but with their team captain snoozing on the couch, they decided to just YouTube on their laptops for the night.

Bryan tried to wake the redhead up a few times, yelling into his ear that he was blowing Julia off and that was a very bad thing to do. But with the drug still in his system, Tala only waved it off, mumbling nonsensical 'I'm going, I'm going' every other second. After a while, the lilac haired blader gave up.

Fetching himself a cup of that sweet warm drink he usually had in the morning, Kai headed upstairs. While everyone's door was closed, Dylan's door remained slightly open with the light in the corridors turned on. Pushing the door open quietly, he entered the room. His purpose? To get rid of those sleeping pills so she could never pull something like that ever again.

He knew the blonde was completely asleep when he caught sight of her lying on her bed on her tummy with half her face buried into her pillow, her other arm tugging at a ragdoll with bright orange hair. Placing the cup on the table, he went to work. He picked up a purse he'd seen her use most recently and sure enough most of her things were in there: her wallet, loose change at the bottom of the purse, a pad much to his horrification, a roller ball perfume, lip balm, lip gloss, a bottle of pink nail polish – honestly, a woman's purse never ceased to amaze him.

Digging around, he came across her camera. A little curious to see how the pictures from the formal and the after party came out, he turned it on and began flipping through. The button he'd pressed took him to the beginning of all the pictures stored in the camera. Shots of her at the beach, drunken escapades with her friends, a few pictures of her and her mother and father, some with all three of them together at restaurants and vacations, pictures she'd taken at school, images of her in her _old_ cheerleader uniform – a red one with _Harbour_ stitched across the chest – pictures she'd taken of herself for Facebook purposes, and a ton of random candid pictures filled up the memory card.

Of all the pictures, one girl seemed to be in them the most: a shorter girl with bleach blonde hair and an oompa loompa tan. While Dylan carried that natural sun-kissed glow with nothing but the aid of the sun, this other girl, who he assumed to be Mallory judging from the matching BFF locket with a 'D', had clearly gone on an unnecessary rampage with the spray tan bottle.

Not hot.

Nonetheless, it seemed like a person that Dylan _actually_ and _sincerely _treasured.

At last Kai had found the photos from the formal. After going through three or four of them that started off in the house, he stumbled across a video she'd taken. He pressed 'play' casually, the recording commencing in the parking lot when they got out of the car and headed inside. Stupid and insulting remarks among the siblings were exchanged and he remembered them when they took place in real life.

Once in the interior, they were stopped by Mr. Dickenson briefly, the camera lens being pointed towards the carpeted floor as Dylan was introduced and shook hands. While the team continued conversing with the chairman of the BBA, the blonde had wandered off to continue filming. He wasn't surprised at all when he found the video stopping at him from afar and after being unknowingly taped for a couple of seconds, she moved on. Following her exploration of the reception hall, she departed from the building and was back in the parking lot, pausing over every single good looking vehicle there.

Finally, she turned around to walk back inside but the lens had caught something else. From the looks of it, she stopped walking and instead focused on the scandalous act happening in a seemingly secluded area behind a truck, zooming in to confirm the identity of the two individuals very clearly.

Kai looked over at the sleeping figure and then back at the camera in mild disbelief. His brows quickly creased when he found a _second_ video, the same incriminating activity between the same two people taking place _during_ formal after dinner was done, this time in the back of the building.

**x x x**

Sunday morning was not a pretty sight. With the redheaded Los Angeles native cursing every other _milli_second about falling asleep and missing dinner with Julia, with Ian furiously typing away on his laptop to see if motor oil and antifreeze were even legal to use in BBA tournaments, and with Bryan trying to calm everyone down so they could get to their very first battle peacefully, breakfast was anything but quiet and serene.

Then again, when was anything ever serene in a house full of five boys?

"She won't even pick up my calls, fuck,"

"Would you shut up about Julia?"

"_Everyone_ shut up,"

"You shut the fuck up,"

What _did_ make the Blitzkrieg Boys actually quiet down was a pair of keys being tossed at the center of the breakfast table. Everyone glanced over at the slate haired blader and back at the BMW car keys, "You fixed her?" Spencer asked at last.

"Yes,"

The patch up was done last night and as Kai took a seat at the table, he discovered the blonde in the cheerleader uniform grinning. Finally she leaned forward and snatched the keys off the table, "Shotgun,"

And with another car back on duty, the ride to the stadium was going to be anything but painful, uncomfortable, and irritating. True to her word, Dylan had taken up the passenger seat in the Beamer, and with the keys still in her ownership she started up the car as the bluenette entered the car and finally took over. With the other members of the team scrambling around the house to make sure they weren't forgetting anything, Kai and the blonde would have to wait a few minutes.

"Less than a week," She began, "I'm impressed. What was the problem?"

"Transmission," He didn't bother looking up from the game he was playing on his iPhone, "You have knowledge about cars," Although it had sounded like a statement, it was more of a question; for a seventeen year old to have such extensive know-how about automobiles was strange to him.

Especially when it was a girl.

Moreover, when it was a girl like her.

Dylan chuckled, "I might know a little bit," Randomly reaching for his iPod that was lying around on the dashboard, she hooked it up and hit play.

"_It doesn't matter whose wrong or right, just beat it, just beat it..._"

Brow rising in surprise at the _way_ familiar song, she glanced at the dual haired boy, "Michael Jackson?"

"Hn,"

"If you dig it," She expressed amusement, "Then I dig it. My parents were huge fans anyway," Apart from the legend, artists such as Kanye West, T.I., Akon, The Dream, and the occasional Deadmau5 were among his picks. After waiting around for the next little while, the other guys were finally ready. Ian scooted into the back of the Beamer while the three others invaded the Supra.

A ticket for running a red light for Tala and fifteen minutes later, they were at the stadium where the cheerleader separated from the team to find her newfound 'entourage'. She found the girls in locker room, some of them putting on lip gloss, some of them fixing their hair, some of them standing around and gossiping, some of them doing stretches and all sorts of things.

Taking off her jacket and throwing it over to a nearby chair, Dylan looked around the room, "In a line, bitches! Now!" The instruction was followed quickly, Ming-Ming included in the single file. Just like the last time, the blonde stood at one end of the line up. She nodded at the first girl, "Hot," Taking a step to the next girl, she examined the second girl, "Hot," And she moved on, playing a game of 'Duck, Duck, Goose'.

Except this was 'Hot, Hot, Not'.

Those who were deemed as 'not' were to prettify themselves further or come to their captain for help. When the task was complete and Dylan was satisfied by everyone's appearance, she had them huddle around her for more directions, "Me, Ming-Ming, and," She halted and scanned the group until her eyes landed on one of them, "What's your name, babe?"

"Sonali,"

"You're fucking gorgeous hun, so you'll be standing in the front row with me and Ming-Ming," When everyone was assigned to respective rows, they were ready to open the BBA tournament. Every girl entered the arena differently: some in cartwheels, some in back flips, some running in with pompoms, and some using other unique moves.

In the audience, most women just gave the overly happy, airheaded, gymnastically flexible, skinny girls pathetic and dirty looks.

But we all know those were no real reasons; they were just jealous. After all, every single guy, young and old, some of them 'committed boyfriends' and even fiancés, was whistling and 'wooting' for the cheerleaders. And really now, what specie of the male classification wouldn't? On display was a group of incredibly attractive women from many ethnicities flaunting their fit bodies, occasionally and 'accidentally' flashing their sexy panties when their ridiculously short and flirty skirts moved around.

The same could not be said about Tala. Yes, he enjoyed it...most of it..._some_ of it...basically all the parts where his eyeballs did _not_ catch sight of his sister-turned-sex-symbol. How disturbing it was to know the colour of her underwear. He wondered how his father felt watching this on television. Then again, knowing Hayden Ivanov, he was probably having a plain martini, proud of his daughter's 'accomplishment'. If anyone it would be Miranda Ivanov who would have a disapproving comment. The redhead could just picture his parents on the couch of their Los Angeles estate, one shaking their head in dismay, the other raising their glass towards the screen.

At last the performance had come to an end and the Blitzkrieg Boys were introduced, receiving a significant amount of applause.

And, erm, other things...such as thongs in Kai's face, some of them _not_ belonging to women. While he was undoubtedly annoyed – after all, he'd come here to beyblade – his team captain seemed to really take pleasure in the situation, catching a couple of undergarments as they were being thrown in the air and pocketing them before waving at a couple of girls to let them know their 'gifts' were appreciated.

The other team was presented as well, a local and fresh team from Moscow who didn't have much of a fan base. While they had already sent up their first member, Tala looked over at Kai, "You wanna take this one?"

Without so much as a word, the bluenette rose from the bench, beyblade and launcher in hand. Just the mere presence of him seemed to scare his opponent into oblivion. It was a boy, a year or two younger than the Blitzkrieg Boy perhaps.

As the referee guy counted them down, Kai could hear fanatics yelling out his name, but there was a certain one that was deafeningly loud. Eyes scanning the stadium quickly, he found Dylan by one of the gateways, sparkly blue and gold tassels in both her hands as she waved them around and screamed for his victory at the top of her lungs.

When the countdown was over, he brought his attention back to the dish, launching Dranzer in while the other player did the same. The battle lasted for one-fourth of a minute, maybe less, the blue beyblade knocking out the other with a single hit. Capturing his beyblade, Kai left the platform, passing by Tala halfway who was up next. Every spectator cheered on the redhead.

Well, almost everyone.

Still standing by the gateway, Dylan booed for the wolf at full volume, trying to get some of the other cheerleaders to do the same. Too bad he was a cherished favourite. Winning his round much like Kai, Tala looked over at the blonde and smirked, sending her the middle finger before walking back to his team. A third match was not required seeing as the Blitzkrieg Boys had already won two out of three.

After signing a couple of autographs, the team made their way back to their locker room; because Dylan was an official BBA cheerleader and because there were another two matches that would take place, they'd have to wait for her. They didn't bother watching either of the two battles that took place; they were all new teams and uninteresting for them. To kill time, they engaged in a tedious game of Spinners, courtesy of Ian. As the spinning quarter spun towards Kai, he got ready to give it a flick but was interrupted by a knock. Being closest to the door, he got up and pulled it open, coming face to face with Julia, "Hi," She smiled.

"Hi,"

"Is Tala here?"

"He's busy,"

Looking over his shoulder, the redhead frowned before making his way over to the door and shoving Kai aside, "I'm not busy," He stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Congratulations on the win," Julia praised.

"Yeah," There was an awkward silence that made him want to go back inside the room. Instead, he manned up, "Sorry about last night,"

"I called you a million times,"

"I know,"

"Dylan picked up,"

Immediately the redhead's head shot up, "And?"

"She said you weren't interested..."

"That's not true," He denied at once, "I fell asleep last night. Look, don't listen to what she says,"

Leaning forward and backward on her tiptoes and heels, Julia nodded, "Well, I just came by to ask if you wanted to hang out?"

"When?"

"How about now?" The suggestion wasn't given by Julia. Or Tala. In fact, it was done by a third person. Walking down the halls and stopping a couple of feet in front of the two bladers was Dylan, arm linked with Garland, "It can be like a double date. Unless _someone_ has an issue," She looked over at the BEGA blader.

"I'm definitely not the one with the issue," The silver haired boy remarked.

"Well I have a problem," Came the redhead's candid truth, "So either you take a fucking hint or we can take this outside,"

Crossing his arms, Garland sneered, "_You_ wanna fight _me_?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," The blonde started, "If you even touch Tala with your pinky finger, he'll almost die," Ponytail boy laughed, patting the cheer captain on the back, "But I never said that wouldn't be fun to watch," She smirked and in an attempt to mock her brother further, she dangled a small red cloth in front of Garland.

That seemed to do the trick.

Except the potential brawl was cut short when Julia leapt in front of the redhead, pushing him back and yelling for him to just stop and walk away.

"Aw," Dylan pushed out her bottom lip, "Even Julia doesn't think her boy toy stands a chance against Garland,"

The commotion caught the attention of the other Blitzkrieg Boys as they quickly opened the door to see what was happening. With a quick briefing provided by the F-Dynasty member, Kai and Spencer dragged their enraged team captain away from the scene while Bryan loomed over Garland in confrontation.

This confrontation basically consisted of Bryan telling Garland to GTFO.

Meanwhile, Ian once again dealt with Dylan's vileness, "What's wrong with you?"

"Actually," The blonde turned the tables, "What's wrong with _Tala_? One minute he's all horny over Julia and the next he's going psycho on Garland. I think he needs to talk to somebody. Anyways, I need a serious shower, let's go home."

With the redhead still in 'psycho' mode, Julia left the scene to let him cool off and Spencer decided to drive the Toyota. Once home, Tala stormed to his room and slammed his door shut so hard that not only did the door crack in damage, but the ceiling light in the kitchen shook and threatened to fall as well.

Sighing, Bryan continued with his lunch with the rest of the team, "Why does everyone in this house always go for the doors?" Other than beyblades, Spencer, Ian, Kai, and Tala's favourite thing to attack was their bedroom doors. The lilac haired blader recalled the misdemeanours done by each member: Spencer when he had an HIV scare, Ian when the door closed on his finger and got mad at the door, and Kai when he and Tala got into a week-long feud over ex-girlfriend drama and confusion. Looking around the table, Bryan's eyes landed on Dylan and he remembered the root of the problem, "Why did you want them to fight?"

"I didn't want them to fight," She denied at once, "I was trying to stop it," From across Ian scoffed, only to have the blonde prove her point further, "I did. I asked if anyone had a problem and I even said it wasn't a good idea,"

"How many times do I have to tell you? They _have_ a problem. They _hate_ each other. But you tried to provoke Tala to get into a fight with Garland,"

Annoyed, Dylan put her spoon down and raised a brow at Ian, "If I did, is there something you plan to do about it?"

Jerking the table in anger and getting up, the indigo haired blader sent the blonde a dirty look, "You're a fucking bitch,"

Bryan opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to let her know Ian hadn't meant what he said, but he was cut off by the blonde herself, "I don't know about Russia or anything but where I come from, people say whatever the hell they want; it's called freedom of speech,"

Whether she was saying this for herself for future reference or letting him know it was okay for Ian to say what he wanted to say and she didn't mind, Bryan couldn't tell. Maybe it was a little bit of both. After lunch was done, Bryan and Ian went out to do some grocery shopping, Spencer headed up to his room, Dylan did some homework on the kitchen table, and Kai hit up some Assassin's Creed – another game he'd been playing recently.

With one hand on the controller, his other hand reached for the inside of the bag of chips. After shuffling around and finding nothing in there, he paused the game to get more junk food for himself. And in a house full of guys, junk food was never hard to find.

"So did Hilary call you yet?" The blonde had asked as soon as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Hn,"

She rolled her eyes, "Did _you_ call her?"

"No,"

"Are you even a phone person, Kai?"

"No,"

"Texting?"

"No,"

"Well Tyson -"

"I'm not Tyson,"

"But you'll have to be if you wanna get into Hilary's pants," At the statement, Kai raised a brow at her briefly before looking back in the fridge, "You know that's what you wanna do. Anyways, do you like going out on dates and stuff?"

"No,"

A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, "Are you a virgin, Kai?" When there was no comment to her enquiry, she laughed, "Okay, we have a _lot_ to work on, hun,"

"We have _nothing_ to work on," He resorted to some microwavable mac and cheese. Popping it into the appropriate appliance for a couple of minutes, he stood with his back turned on the blonde to avoid further discussion.

But she had other plans, "So if I'm going to get you and Hilary together, I need to know a few things,"

"Stay out of it,"

"What do you like about Hilary?"

"That she's nothing like you,"

"So she's...boring, ugly, and fat? That's not very nice," She paced towards the counter he was by, jumping to sit up on it, "Seriously, what traits about Hilary do you like? I need information or I can't help and then when you hear about Tyson giving Hilary a screaming, toe-curling, bed-sheet-grabbing orgasm, you'll be all upset that you had nothing to do with that historical and thrilling event," As he gave her a pathetic look, she shrugged, "You know that's true,"

"She's realistic,"

Dylan nodded, "Good. See? Now we're getting somewhere. So, when it comes to girls, kissing is very important. If you're not a good kisser, we don't want you," By 'you' she meant all men and by 'we' she was speaking on behalf of all women, "So I need to know if you're good at it,"

"And how do you plan on accomplishing that task?"

"Well like I said, Tyson is _very_ experienced,"

"And..."

"And seeing as Tyson is the control in this experiment and you're the lab rat and I'm the scientist, you and I are gonna have to kiss so I can compare and evaluate you,"

The bluenette sneered, "You wish,"

"Actually _you_ wish. Right now you're still on the field but there can only be one quarterback and as soon as Tyson throws a touchdown, you'll be benched from the game for good, hun. So either you take advantage of the one girl who's willing to let you use her to get to another girl," She looked down at herself in indication, "Or you admit defeat to Mr. World Champion," As the microwave beeped signifying time was up and the meal was ready, she was surprised when he ignored it and instead situated himself in front of her, conforming to her proposal, "_Seriously_?"

"I never admit defeat,"

She beamed, "Good," He expected some kind of a speech to initiate the deed. But there was none of that. In fact, she wasn't even discreet about the whole thing. Grabbing his t-shirt, she pulled him close, "Get over here."

**x x x**

_"Tala..."_

_Brows furrowing slightly, the redhead ignored the person and continued sleeping. He didn't want to wake up yet. Maybe in an hour. _

_"Tala..."_

_Aggravated, he cracked an eye open only to be horrified as he found his arms and legs tied up to his bed posts with Dylan standing over him, a knife in her hands. As a cliché lightning was seen from his bedroom window, the blonde cackled before bringing the weapon down, piercing him square in the heart. _

Jumping up in bed, Tala quickly placed both his hands over his mouth to prevent himself from screaming and having his teammates rush in. He felt around his chest for blood, finding nothing there but sweat. After realizing it was just a dream – a _double_ dream – his shoulders slumped in relaxation. But the idea of Dylan trying to kill him didn't faze him; he knew she was out to get him one way or another.

Looking around the room, he yawned and hopped off his bed. By now, he'd forgotten all about Garland and missing another opportunity to go out with Julia. Instead, he was effing hungry. Throwing a hoodie over himself, he headed downstairs to the sanctuary.

But just as he was about to take his very first step onto the tiled floors of the kitchen, he stopped, foot still in midair and turquoise eyes wide like the first time he saw pornography.

Perched up on the kitchen counter was Dylan and standing in front of her was Kai. While both his hands were planted on the ledge in casualness, she opted to occupy herself in playing around with them of his t-shirt.

And they were making out.

As in _really_ going at it.

It was like the scene out of Spider-Man except no one was upside down and it wasn't raining and thank the _Lord_ her top wasn't see-through!

Though he was _seeing_ it for himself, his brain seemed to lag and have a hard time processing the information. Nonetheless, Tala had found his seemingly MIA vocal chord at last, "WHAT THE FUCK!"

* * *

**GASP!** **x 100. **

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**Thanks to...**

**Darial Kuznetsova – **I googled 8 kilos and it says it's almost 17 pounds. You can work that off, hun! No big deal! Btw, I sent you a message in your inbox! Basically I said I looked through your cosplay pics again and I noticed that you were in Toronto! I don't know if that was for Anime North 2010 or 2008 but are you still in Toronto? I live in Toronto!

**Crying Sorceress – **My own story is keeping me sane too. We are two very sad people...And about the beyblade fandom dying, I totally had an epiphany last night (well technically it was this morning seeing as I was thinking about it from 2 am to 6 am). I was thinking back to when I first started reading and writing fanfiction, which was in 2002, when I was 14...and now I'm turning 22 in September and I just thought about how fast time flies! And then I searched up old authors and it was SO weird seeing fics dating back to 2003...and I just wondered what the hell they do now. And I can't believe I was lying awake in bed from 2 am to 6 am. It was a scary moment.

**Sasukechica**

**The Master of the Hobos**

**Just a girl – **I am royally jealous of your vacay. I haven't been out of Toronto in YEARS!

**iEXIST**

**native-kitten – **How ironic! You asked me when there would be more Kai/Dylan stuff and BOOM! LOL!

**Xxz0eyxx **


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

In an instant, Kai and Dylan pulled away from each other, his hands still on the counter and hers' still on his clothes.

Remember the time when Dylan saw Kai's _thingy_? Well take that and multiply it by a gazillion and you'll get the magnitude of awkwardness that the slate haired blader was experiencing. One arm crossed over his chest and with his other hand on his forehead, he only looked towards the ground.

"Seriously...what the fuck..."

Dylan rolled her eyes, "Do you mind? We were in the middle of something _important_,"

Ignoring the blonde, the redhead looked over at his 'best friend', "How can you break the man-code? She's off limits, you fucker,"

Having no explanation at hand, the bluenette discreetly eyed the blonde. "No, idiot," Luckily for Kai, Dylan had taken over, "I'm helping him hook up with Hilary,"

"You guys were _kis _-"

"It's part of the 'help',"

Tala narrowed his eyes at Kai, "Is this true?"

"Yes,"

There was silence for a couple of seconds before the redhead shook his head and finally entered the kitchen, "As long as none of it is serious, I'm cool, but do this 'help' shit somewhere else; I don't wanna see it," He gagged as he searched the fridge, "That's just fucking nasty,"

After the redhead tossed a couple of slices of left over pizza on a plate and left, the blonde tilted her head towards the bluenette, "About your evaluation..."

With his arms folded over, he provided her with a cocky smirk, "Still think I'm a virgin?"

When he gave her fireworks in her mouth? Hell no.

**x x x**

Tala couldn't be happier by the coming of Monday. After dropping Dylan off to school, he drove not to his house, but to Julia's hotel. He figured he'd apologize – again – and see if they could move on from there.

Unless of course she was done and done with his unreliability.

Knocking on room 1709, he stood in front of the door for a couple of seconds before knocking a second time. At last the door flung open with Raul standing there rubbing his eyes, "She's not here,"

Much like Dylan, Raul didn't seem too fond of Tala and Julia's probable relationship. The older boy could only assume it was because of his 'reputation' with women...a reputation he never created purposely or even by himself, it sort of just happened.

"Where is she?"

"She didn't sleep here last night. Bye," Though Raul was known to be a generally nice and quiet guy, with Tala he seemed to be anything but that. Hastily and rudely, he began closing the door only to have the other redhead stick his foot in.

"What do you mean she didn't sleep here last night? This is her room,"

"My sister has friends, you know. And a cell phone,"

"I already called," Tala raised his phone, "She's not picking up,"

"Well here's a suggestion: stop bothering her," Raul kicked his foot away, "And get a life," With that, he slammed the door shut. Tala creased his brows at the door in frustration; he liked Raul better when he was fifteen, still going through puberty, and used to be deathly scared of him. Now he was almost as tall as the Blitzkrieg Boy and seemed to finally grow a pair.

Walking down the corridors all over again, he reached the elevator. When it finally came, he was surprised to see Mariah inside. "Hey," She beamed, "Leaving Julia's?" She asked with a wink.

"She's wasn't there,"

"Oh, I thought you slept over,"

"No," He got inside and pressed for the lobby, "I was going to ask if she was with you for the night,"

Mariah shook her head, "I was at Hilary's; _Jersey Shore_ reruns night," She yawned, "Only got two hours of sleep,"

"Nice," He used the 'smile and nod' technique to avoid further conversation with the pinkette. He didn't want Lee all over his ass again. "You think she was with Emily?"

The White Tiger waved a brow in uncertainty, "I don't talk to Emily. But as far as I know, Emily's not really a 'slumber party' kind of person,"

"Miriam, then,"

She gave him a funny look, "Don't you know? Miriam and Julia can't stand each other,"

"Weren't they friends?"

"A little over a year ago, yeah. I don't know what happened. Julia always told me and the other girls not to worry about it and Miriam is Secret Sally; you'll never hear anything from that girl. And before you ask, I don't think Julia was with Mathilda, none of us are that close to her except Miriam,"

Truth be told, all Tala heard was 'blah, blah, blah'. Along with every other guy that populated planet Earth, he never managed to wrap his head around the petty drama of Girl World.

"Anyways," She spoke again, "Do you have your car here?"

"Yeah,"

The pink haired girl grinned sheepishly, "If you're not in a hurry, can I get a ride?"

Well that couldn't hurt, "Where?"

"The nearest grocery store. I want to make these things that look like perogies for dinner tonight,"

"Pelmeni?"

Mariah raised her brows in surprise, "You know what that is?" Only to feel stupid for asking, "Well you're Russian..."

"Actually," He let her inside the car once they were in the parking lot, "I'm not," For a second time, the female blader appeared dumbfounded, "I'm from California,"

As he hit the roads, he caught a glimpse of Mariah's taken aback expression, "You're from California?"

"Apparently,"

Instantly, she looked amused as she turned in her seat, "But you don't say 'rad' or 'hella' or 'dude',"

"_No_ one in California says that shit. That's just beach slang that idiots use,"

"Have you met Arnold Schwarzenegger?"

"Of course not,"

"But you're from California,"

Tala sighed, "California's a normal place just like any other place. We're normal people, though some can be kind of conceited, but normal nonetheless, we drive normal cars, we speak normal English, we live in normal houses, and we work normal jobs. My dad owns a garage and my mom's the district manager for Target – it's a store in the States. And you know what, Los Angeles really isn't all 'glitz and glam' like those stupid TV shows make it seem; people smoke Dirty M's, there's pollution, and there's a shit load of people. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of love for L.A., it's my hometown and it's a great place, you'll never run out of things to do, and we have great weather, but it's really just _normal_,"

"Oh," Came her response, "I didn't know that,"

"You're Chinese, so let me ask you: have you met Jackie Chan? Are you good at math? Do you know karate? Do you just eat fried rice? Is your culture the same as it was a thousand years ago?"

"Those are stereotypes,"

"Exactly. California and everyone in it are stereotyped the same way. There's truth to some stuff, but not everything,"

"I see," Mariah nodded before jumping to another matter, "And Tala, I'm not Chinese," As the redhead raised a brow in surprised, she laughed, "Lee and I are from Thailand."

**x x x**

"Kai!"

The bluenette only narrowed his eyes in annoyance at his bedroom floor almost as if he could see Ian sitting in the kitchen. What the hell did that imbecile want?

"I need to check your beyblade!" Said imbecile shouted from downstairs again, "Get Tala's too!"

Muttering irritations, Kai looked back at the empty University of Moscow application displayed on the screen. Staring at it for a couple of seconds, he X-ed out of the window and walked away from his laptop. Picking up his beyblade, he headed to his team captain's room. He pulled the redhead's bedside drawer open only to come out surprisingly empty handed: there was no sign of Wolborg.

Shuffling around the contents, he came across the gun-like launcher but no beyblade. And it didn't make sense: a beyblade and launcher went together, one was nothing without the other. And no beyblader was silly enough to carry just _one_ of the two things. Taking his phone out of his pockets, he called up the redhead, "Where are you?"

"Are you really that horny, Kai?"

The bluenette ignored the idiocy, "Where's your beyblade?"

"Where I always keep it; isn't it there?"

Amethyst eyes glanced at the empty drawer, "Found it," Not bothering with a 'bye', he hung up and made his way downstairs. He dropped the blue beyblade by the three others.

"I told you to get Tala's," Ian rolled his eyes.

"He took his beyblade with him,"

The indigo haired boy shook his head in dismay, "I told that fag to leave it at home,"

"You already fixed the engine gear,"

"Yeah..." Ian fiddled with a screwdriver, "I was just going to do an upgrade on it,"

Kai raised a brow, "Wasn't an upgrade done at the time of repair?"

"Not necessarily. Anyways," Ruby eyes landed on the iPhone in his teammate's hand, "Did you hear about the reception problem with the new one?"

"I did," He answered while on his way back upstairs.

**x x x**

Yawning, Tala pulled up in the deserted high school parking lot. It had just hit 7 PM and honestly, he was still slightly sceptical that a school would keep their doors open this late for a few students to work on group assignments. Wouldn't it make more sense for them to just go to each others' houses? He spotted Dylan emerging from the school at last, accompanied by four others: three of them students, two boys and a girl, and the fourth, a male teacher of African descent.

Judging by the hand movements of the teacher and the nodding of the head from all four students, he seemed to give them some final instructions before letting them go. Waving goodbye to each other, the students separated, all four of them running or walking off in different directions.

Once the blonde finally took a seat in the vehicle, Tala started up the car, "You've made some friends,"

"You'll make some too one day, don't worry,"

The redhead rolled his eyes, "Belt," He reminded as he left the property, "Did you finish the project?"

"No. It's big, we're gonna need to stay after school a couple of times a week,"

"Give them our fucking address and tell them to come over. You guys can work on it at our place. I'm tired of picking you up,"

"Then give me the car, retard,"

"Nice try,"

"Your face was a nice try,"

"Bitch,"

"Asshole,"

"Ball sniffer,"

"Dick licker,"

"Cunt face,"

"Cock sucker,"

"Repeat!" The redhead slapped the steering wheel in victory, "Dick and cock – you lose!"

"Wow, the mention of penises got you so excited,"

The redhead patted his sister on the head, "Oh, don't cry Dill Pickle. I know I won but one day your day will come. Maybe not any time soon, but some day,"

"Don't worry Tala, your secret about liking it in the ass is safe with me," Leaning her head against the window, she shifted her turquoise orbs at him, "I just don't know _how_ safe,"

"Guess what?" Instead of waiting for a reply, he pulled her by the hair and proceeded to yell in her ear, "YOU LOST, MOTHAFUCKA!"

**x x x**

Walking around the rectangular table, Mariah scooped up the contents from the pot and served it on the plate in front of Lee. She looked around the table, trying to get a feel if her teammates liked what she'd made them for dinner.

"Is it good?" She finally asked.

With his mouth full Ray only gave a thumbs up while Gary and Kevin nodded, Lee opting to vocalize his liking with an awkward comment, "Ray's gonna be a lucky man one day,"

"I wonder what kind of luck we're talking about here," Ray's humorous comment was rewarded with a playful punch on the arm from the older brother. Being used to such remarks from Lee, Ray and Mariah didn't even feel uncomfortable anymore – they'd gotten over that a _long_ time ago. Nowadays, they only laughed it off or joked over any suggestive statement that would come out of Lee's mouth.

The team captain of the White Tigers watched his sister spoon the rest of the food into several containers before tossing them into a bag.

"Are you going somewhere?" He enquired.

"Yeah," She bent over to put on her shoes, "I made a lot so I'm going to give some to my friends,"

"Friends?" Lee repeated and as Mariah rolled her eyes and grabbed her jacket along with the plastic bag full of food, he continued, "Well I can tell it's not for Hilary or the other girls; otherwise you would have just said so. Can you at least tell me where you're going?"

"If I tell you that," She opened the door and glanced over her shoulder, "You'll have a million objections and this stuff," She lifted the bag in reference, "is going to get cold,"

"She'll be fine, Lee," Ray stood up for his pink haired friend.

Ignoring his teammate, Lee got up and motioned Mariah to exit the hotel room where the siblings could get some privacy. With one hand resting on the door knob, he stood in the hallway face-to-face with Mariah, "Where are you going?"

"Dylan's,"

"Isn't that Tala's sister?"

"Right; its Tala's _sister_, not Tala. She's my friend and I made her dinner,"

Lee glanced over at the amount of food the pink haired girl was carrying, enough to feed at least ten people, "I thought cheerleaders ate very little,"

"Well I made some for her brother and the rest of his team. It would be rude if I just showed up with dinner for one person. Besides, he helped me with the groceries today,"

"He?"

"I said she. Get a hearing aid, Lee,"

The older sibling sighed, pulling out some money from his wallet and handing it over to Mariah, "Take it just in case. Keep your phone on you and don't go near that moron, Tala. Or the other guys. Just stay with Dylan. And Kai, if you have to; I only trust that asshole because Ray trusts that asshole but he's still an asshole,"

"I will,"

"Call me if anything happens,"

Nodding, Mariah left the area. A taxi wasn't hard to find, hotel drive-ins were usually filled with them. Recalling the address to the Blitzkrieg Boys' house, she gave the driver directions and a couple of minutes later, she was standing on the front steps. After a few seconds of hesitation, she reached forward and knocked on the door. To her utter dismay, the door was opened by Dylan.

With grey dress pants and a navy full sleeve polo that had some kind of emblem sewn in red thread, she recognized it to be the blonde's school uniform.

"Hi," Mariah said at last.

"We don't do charities, hun,"

The pink haired girl had a powerful urge to slap the bitch across the face. Instead of that however, Mariah reminded herself that Dylan was younger than her, still in high school, juvenile, and a girl who liked to generate drama out of nothing.

"Is Tala here?"

"That depends on what you're here for,"

"I made him dinner,"

Leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, Dylan gave her a lame look, "Why?"

"I don't have a reason. I made some for everyone. Anyways," Seeing as this was going nowhere, Mariah situated the bag on the steps, "Just heat them up before you eat," With that, she turned around to leave.

"Um hello?"

Mariah looked over her shoulder, "What?"

"I'm not carrying that inside, sweetheart. You have hands, you can give it to Pippi Longstocking yourself," Making the declaration, the White Tiger watched the blonde disappear from the doorway, the door still ajar.

Eyes rolling at the other girl's despicability, Mariah walked towards the house again, picking up the bag and carrying it inside. The entryway was basically a small tiled area with a closet to the left, the garage door situated on the same side of the wall. Straight up ahead were the stairs to the second floor, on her right was the living room, and behind that, the kitchen.

She'd noticed a lot more things about the house now than she did during the party they had. It was so...guy-ish. The living room consisted of two black couches, one off to the side of the wall and the other one perpendicular. A coffee table was situated in the middle, a little slanted off to the side due to obvious carelessness. She wasn't surprised at all by the massive TV, an XBOX connected to it with a bunch of controllers wired to it.

Finally, she realized she was there all alone. She continued to stand around awkwardly for the next couple of minutes before losing patience, "Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out, glancing between the kitchen's entry way and the stairs to see if anyone would emerge. She heard one of the doors from upstairs opening and caught a glimpse of Ian poking his head out of his room before sliding down the stair railings.

"How'd you get inside?"

"Dylan let me in,"

Ian appeared a little annoyed, "She didn't even tell anyone you were here," After explaining to him she'd brought over their dinner, gratefulness was expressed before everyone else was called downstairs. Having not had her dinner yet, and being asked to stay, Mariah found herself sitting at a round dinner table full of guys.

Plus Dylan.

It was in that moment Mariah _almost_ felt sorry for the blonde. Of course she had experience living with all guys as well but at least she could relate to Gary, Kevin, and Ray. She could have fun with them, she could go out with them, and she could even talk to them about some of her problems. But these were the Blitzkrieg Boys. They weren't exactly...normal, for lack of a better word. They came out of a shady military school, trained in God knew what sort of weaponry and strangeness. Could _anyone_ picture a completely serious training session with the Russian team back at the Abbey and Boris and then the prissy cheerleader popping into the picture out of nowhere?

It was _so_ odd.

It was like Regina George of Mean Girls meets Jason Bourne of the Bourne Identity.

Though she didn't fit in with the guys, Mariah could already single out the similarities between Dylan and Tala. They were discreet and she wasn't even sure if anyone else had picked up on them, but they were definitely there. As for physical similarities? With a close look and a good eye, you'd find them. They both had the same blue eyes, they were both genuinely good looking making her wonder what their parents must have looked like, and they both inherited a respectable height with her being possibly 5'7, him maybe 5'11.

"So how come you cooked dinner for Tala?"

She snapped out of her thoughts by the question Dylan had posed, "He helped me with the groceries today,"

"Oh, I see, so this is your way of showing him your appreciation,"

"Kind of," Mariah nodded.

"So that was the only reason?"

"Pretty much, yeah,"

"So how would you repay him if he did your laundry for you?"

Not liking _whatever_ Dylan was trying to get at, Tala cut in, "Shut up and eat or you can walk to school for the rest of the fuc- _stupid _week,"

"It's okay," The pink haired girl reassured with a beam before turning to blonde, "If he did my laundry, I'd make him lunch,"

Smiling, though Mariah highly doubted it was genuine, the blonde nodded before shelling her with another enquiry, "And when would you make him breakfast?"

Returning the same kind of smile, discreetly so as not to have the guys grasp onto the unofficial warfare between her and Dylan, she responded, "When he sleeps over," The answer was bold of course, and while everyone else took it as a practical joke, it seemed to catch the blonde by slight surprise. "What would you do if a guy did something nice for you?" She grabbed the spotlight and rotated it back to the blonde.

But the Californian seemed to pick up on the unsanctioned challenge "Oh, I don't do anything for guys," Dylan forked a pelmeni and smiled, "Guys only do things for me."

**

* * *

**

**OMG. DRAMA!**

**xoxo to my lovely's:**

**CryMeOut**

**Ninja2k**

**Crying Sorceress **

**native-kitten**

**xxz0eyxx – **Dylan said that, Garland was just with her. As for Dirty Little Secret, I AM writing it but it's a really hard story to write because the chapters are so long and I've (stupidly) introduced so many different elements into it.

**Darial Kuznetsova**

**Just a girl – **Yeah Toronto's pretty cool! Lol, where are you from?

**Waffles – **When me and my bro get into fights and one of us runs into our rooms, the other one tries to kick the door down. My dad was not pleased to come home from work and find broken doors...

**Missconfus3d**

**Sasukechica – **Thanks so much! Yeah, I only write realistically (especially romance stuff). Some of the stuff I read out there just make me go 'what the fuck?' because it's so...not true. And people ONLY concentrate on the emotional stuff, I find. There's more to romance than just that.

**SouthernDragon – **Looks like you've caught onto something! No one else has! Smart you lol.

**c3lebrityskin**

**iEXIST**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

After dinner and a silly and tedious game of cards, Mariah announced that she'd be going back to her hotel. From his position on the couch, Kai watched the blonde approach the female beyblader as she slipped her feet into her shoes.

"No plans to make Butt Fugly breakfast for the morning?" Came her ridiculing comment in the form of a sweet sounding enquiry.

Before Mariah could provide some sort of a comeback of her own, Tala situated himself in the middle, shoving his sister away with one hand, "Get lost, dumb ass. And I expect your homework to be completed when I'm done dropping her off,"

With that, the redhead opened the door for the pink haired girl and followed her outside. When Kai could hear the Supra start up and saw the headlights bouncing off the house, he got up and headed to his room. Leaning against his pillow, he situated the laptop on his legs and began searching and surfing like he had done earlier. To his annoyance, his bedroom door opened and he watched Dylan welcome herself inside.

"Leave," He ordered at once.

Instead, she plopped down on the mattress beside him, a notebook and pen in hand, "I need help with math,"

"I'm not good at math,"

"Then why," She made herself even more comfortable by resting her back on the same pillow, "are you looking at the Faculty of Engineering page for University of Moscow? As far as I know, engineering equals math,"

Having her see something he didn't want anyone to see, he angrily closed his laptop, "Get out,"

"I have a quiz tomorrow,"

"That's not my problem,"

"If I fail calculus I'll be missing a credit and my parents said I can't go back to L.A. without graduating from high school,"

"Still not my problem,"

"Actually it is. If I can't go back, that means I'll have to stay here another semester around _you_ and you'll be so mad, you'll lose all your hair and become bald," She gave him a sympathetic look, "And that would be depressing because you have _really_ nice hair,"

Snatching the notebook and pen out of her hands, he looked over at the question she tried to finish. He tried to make sense out of every line she'd written under the question but when he realized they were just wrong, he began crossing them out. For him the question was very straight forward and simple, he'd done all this before. Providing her with the solution, he tossed the notebook and pen back to her, "Now leave,"

"But there's more questions,"

"There's more people in this house,"

"I learn really well from good looking tutors,"

"I'm not your tutor," Sliding down until his head was on the pillow, Kai closed his eyes and hoped for her departure. But when he felt her climb onto him, using his chest as a temporary table top for her notebook, he gave her an angry glare.

She smiled at him flirtatiously and held onto a pretend leash and a rope in the air, "Giddy up,"

Tired of her sexual disposition, he grabbed his headphones from the side table, put them on, turned up the music, and placed an arm over his eyes; maybe if he didn't pay any attention to her, she'd get bored and leave. But after four songs had gone by, he could still feel her weight on him. Wondering what she could have been doing for the past ten to twelve minutes, he took a look for himself. She had his iPhone with her, holding it horizontally, and by the way she was tilting it side-to-side like a steering wheel, he assumed she was just playing a racing game. Taking off his headphones, he could hear the screech of tires from the phone, confirming his guess.

"Since you don't even talk or text and I use the same phone," As she spoke, her eyes remained on the screen, "You should give this one to me,"

"No,"

"You should let me _borrow _it until my parents reactivate my line,"

"No,"

"_Second place!_" Came the voice from the phone, indicating she'd finished the required amount of laps.

Not bothering with another round, she tossed the phone beside her, "So," She started, "Let's talk about Hilary,"

"Let's talk about nothing and you get out of my room,"

"Girls like nice guys. So, our next step in the process of getting you and Hilary together is to work on you being nice. We're not selfish but we appreciate it when boys return a favour,"

"Last time I checked, we're always the one to pick up the bill,"

"Well it doesn't always have to be about the dinner tab or the movie ticket. Example," She stated before proceeding to nearly making him piss his pants. Well not really, it was just unanticipated, that's all. Leaning over, she gave him a kiss on the cheek before pulling back and staring at him for a couple of seconds. She rolled her eyes slowly as if to signify she was waiting for something and when he didn't give much of a reaction, she rolled her eyes again, but this time in disappointment, "Um hello? You were supposed to kiss me back,"

"In your dreams,"

"Honey, in _my _dreams you and I do more than just kiss," How horrifying, "But anyways," She waved if off, "Remember, this isn't about me or you, this is about _Hilary_. I'm only trying to help you get her before Tyson does,"

"I don't need your help,"

"Okay, let me lay out the facts for you: Tyson is _really_ cute, he's an _amazing _kisser, and I know he works out because I felt his arms. You're outrageously good-looking, you have the ability to give a girl cavities when you kiss her, and I mean that in a good way, we like cavities, and you have a Godly body," Though he raised a brow at her as if to tell her this was a load of bull, he listened on, "But right now, Tyson's in lead in this 'game' and that's because he has the advantage of being able to spend more time with her _and_ he's the World Champion. So," She placed her hands on his shoulder, "Do you want to admit serious, total, and ultimate defeat to Tyson Granger?"

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe I've answered that question already,"

"Exactly," She nodded, "So you need my help, Kai. I'm going to get you fixed up for Hilary,"

"Hn,"

"From now on, I'm going to test you on everything so don't act surprised when I do something; remember, we like it when you return _favours_ for us," She grinned, picked up her notebook and finally got off him but resorted to sitting next to him, "Goodnight, Kai,"

"Bye,"

Dylan rolled her eyes, "_Fail_. Where's my goodnight kiss?"

"I put girls to sleep without a goodnight kiss,"

"_Oh_," A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips and she lightly hit him with her notebook, "Look at you, _Terminator_," She swung her legs off the bed but before she could go forward and leave, she was yanked by the back her of tank top.

"What you saw on my computer is to remain a secret,"

"The university thing?"

"Yes,"

"Why?"

"That's none of your business, but if anyone finds out, I'll know who told," He watched her come closer, wiggle her nose with his, laugh, and to his relief, leave his room at last.

**x x x**

"Thanks for the ride,"

"My backseat's available for a different kind of ride,"

Chuckling, Mariah teasingly whacked Tala across the arm, "Pervert," She unbuckled her seatbelt, "So did you get a chance to talk to Julia?" She enquired before exiting the car that was currently parked in the hotel drive-in.

"Yeah, she called,"

The pinkette nodded, "Do you really like her?"

"She's a nice girl,"

Mariah raised a brow, "Break my friend's heart and I'll break your neck, Ivanov," She stepped out of the car, "Anyways, goodnight!"

He waved, "Thanks for dinner by the way,"

As she flashed him a smile which translated into something like 'anytime', Tala watched her disappear through the hotel doors and he waited until he saw her take the elevator before driving back home. Throwing his jacket on the couch, he sat down while Spencer sat on the other one, remote in hand.

"Did you see Lee?" Asked the blonde blader.

"Fuck no. I didn't even go inside," The redhead lazily lied down, "I don't want that fucker hanging off my balls again,"

"She's hot though. Her jugs are massive,"

Shifting his turquoise orbs at his teammate, Tala gave him a threatening look, "She's off limits,"

Spencer rolled his eyes, "I'm tired of every other bitch being 'off limits' in Russia because you can't keep your ding dong in your pants. And as far as I'm concerned, only exes are off limits and Mariah and you were never official,"

"Well like you said, asshole, any place my _ding dong_ has ever paid a visit to is out of bounds,"

There was casual silence for a couple of seconds before Spencer caught onto what the redhead had said, "Wait, what? When the hell did you do _her_?" Smirking egotistically, the team captain got up and proceeded to head up to his room, leaving the other boy to wrinkle his nose, "I don't know who's more of a hoe: you or that mom-stripper down the street."

**x x x**

Sleep fading, Kai raised his head from his pillow. Letting out a yawn, he grabbed his phone from the charger to check for any missed calls or texts by habit before rolling off his bed. Usual bedhead and all and attired in the shorts and wife beater he'd slept in, he strolled over to his door and pulled it open.

Only to be surprise attacked.

He only managed to catch a blurred glimpse of Dylan in her school uniform before she jerked him forward by the waistband of his shorts. And it happened so fast that he only realized _what_ happened _after_ her lips had already detached from his. It was a very simple kiss, a peck really, but a kiss nonetheless.

How he felt? Like an innocent fly that hovered over a Venus Flytrap unaware of the grotesque danger lurking beneath it, like Peter Parker when a genetically enhanced spider showed up out of nowhere like a rapist and bit him, like Steve Irwin when a snake caught him off guard: utterly abused, violated, infringed...

Basically, harassed on a level of epic proportion.

"Dill Pickle! Its 8 fucking 30! If you're late, I'm not dropping you off to school!"

When Tala's loud announcement from the kitchen snapped him out of shock, Kai furrowed his brows in exasperation at the blonde, "Don't ever do that again," Warning her, he moved passed her and headed for the washroom, slamming the door closed.

After a shower and all that stuff, he left the washroom, absolutely relieved to find that Tala had taken Dylan to school and that she wouldn't be home for the next couple of hours. Towel drying his hair, he proceeded to his room. The travel was cut short, however, when he spotted some kind of red cloth sticking from in between Dylan's mattress.

The only reason he was curious was because it looked suspicious – why was she hiding her clothes? Was it a really slutty dress she didn't want her brother to know about? For a girl who walked around the house in lingerie in front of her sibling, Kai highly doubted it was an inappropriate dress that she was trying to veil.

Stepping into her side of the room, he pulled at the red fabric and held it out. With _IVANOV_ written on the back and the number 12 right below it, the satiny article was undeniably a jersey. It was too small to be Tala's. That and the fact that her school logo was printed on the front. Perhaps she was on the basketball team or something? He never expected her to be the type to be into sports. Uninterested any further, he shoved the jersey back where he found it.

The rest of the day was spent doing important things that he didn't want to be interrupted in the middle of. Unfortunately he was, by a call from Kenny asking if he wanted to join the broken up team that was the Bladebreakers for lunch. Unwillingly agreeing, he met his old team at a steakhouse. Though it was almost painfully annoying to be around all of them as if they were a team all over again, there was a strange amount of familiarity that arose, the same sensation he felt every time he was with them.

Probably because they were still the exact same as they were when he originally met them all those years ago: Ray was still the voice of reason, Kenny was still nerdy and explained things in ways that most of them didn't comprehend, Max was still overly joyous, Tyson was still an idiot, and those two were still in that unchanged bro-mantic relationship.

"– you don't understand, she does this _thing_ in your mouth,"

Arms still folded over his chest, Kai at least opened his eyes to listen to Tyson's story. From what he'd heard so far, it was obviously about a girl and from the minute Dylan had informed him of the world champ's 'skills and qualifications', he wanted to know just what the hell Tyson was up to and what he'd been doing to get so 'experienced'.

"Who?" Max enquired.

"I think," Ray chimed in, "he's talking about Dylan," He paused and looked over at Tyson, "Right?"

"Yeah man," The hat clad blader replied, "It's like..." He made a face as if to think of what to say next, "I can't explain it but she does something with her tongue; it's _amazing_,"

Kai was never able to make sense out of anything Tyson ever said. And that was the funny thing because at the moment, he knew _exactly _what the Dragon was talking about. It was strange and confusing for him; did he understand Tyson because he had dumbed down to the idiot's level? Or did he understand because he was up to _par_ with Tyson?

"Did you do anything _else_ with her?" Kenny pushed up his glasses.

Chuckling, the navy haired champ leaned into his seat, "Shit, I wish,"

"Well unless you want to be brutally skinned alive and seared with lemon and butter for Wolborg's dinner with your trachea violently ripped out and the fluid from your eyeballs removed, I suggest you keep away from Dylan, Tyson; that's _Tala's_ sister,"

Four pairs of eyes focused on the chief, Tyson providing him with a disturbed look, Ray furrowing his brows in revulsion, Max quickly ordering a Sprite to prevent nausea because of the eyeball part, and Kai pretty much losing the desire to finish the rest of his lunch.

Clearly, Kenny was still deathly afraid of the redhead.

And knowing Tala, that scenario was quite the possibility.

"Anyways," Philly native, Max, started, "What about Hilary, Tyson?"

"What _about_ Hilary?"

Ray rolled his eyes, "Come on man, you know what about her; don't act like you haven't noticed for the past who knows how many goddamn years,"

Tyson shrugged, "Haven't noticed a thing,"

"Hn," The ex captain decided to put in his two cents, "You're brainless, Tyson,"

"Oh yeah? Why don't you enlighten me with _your_ brains, Kai?"

"For some reason which will never be apparent to me, she likes you," And in truth, Kai really didn't know _why_ Hilary would be fond of someone like Tyson in such a way. He had a hard time admitting he was second best to him in beyblading, but when it came to Hilary, he didn't want to own up at all to the fact that maybe, just maybe, as heinous a thought it was, Tyson was just better than him _overall_.

What did she see in Tyson anyway? He was so..._blah_. Other than beyblading, Kai had never compared himself to Tyson in any kind of way. He didn't feel the need to. He didn't care who the better looking one was, who the better kisser was, who had more friends, or who got more time in the sack with the ladies.

Still, he always wondered why she picked Tyson over him. Although _all_ three people in question were different, Kai still felt he had more in common with the girl than his 'competition' did. She wasn't even Tyson's type. On the other hand, she was very much Kai's type: pretty of course, a bookworm, quiet but not too quiet, smart, organized, considerate, mature, and very independent.

"No," The navy haired nineteen year old shook his head, "We're just friends, Kai. She doesn't like me," He exhaled out loudly and raised a hand to signal for the waiter, "Can we get our bill, please?"

* * *

**Question...**How many of you have done something with your brother's friends?

This can't apply to me since my brother is younger than me. I did, however, have a MASSIVE crush on his best friend's older brother. When my bro found out, he was all "WTF MAN! WHAT'S YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM! THAT'S LIKE MY BRO AND THAT MEANS HE'S LIKE YOUR BRO! INCEST! YOU FUCKING FREAK! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT MY FRIEND'S BROTHER! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME!" And all this stuff. Holy crap lol.

**Thanks for the reviews bitches:**

**SouthernDragon**

**Waffles**

**Darial Kuznetsova**

**Just a girl – **You bet her school project is suspicious lol.

**Native-kitten – **I can't tell you anything! You'll have to wait and find out! :P

**Peroxxide Priincess **

**Crying Sorceress – **I guess when I wrote the part about 'dude' and 'hella', I meant like people who say it CONSTANTLY after every other word (unless you do that!) lol. And I thought about how people stereotype Toronto and what was true and what wasn't and wrote that part. Hopefully it was accurate! Lol.

**Kickstartmyhart – **Okay, I like your username lol.

**Marishka91**

**CryMeOut – **All I'm going to say is...Kai is a VERY intelligent person :P And like I said, read between the lines! There's tons of hints in the story!

**Sasukechica **

**Xxz0eyxx **


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

That night dinner went pretty conversation-less. No one really had anything to talk about except for random things that popped up in their heads.

"So have you decided where you want to go after high school?" Enquired Bryan as he looked over at Dylan.

Cutting her chicken cutlet into smaller pieces, she shrugged, "UCLA, maybe,"

"That's if you even get in," Snickered Tala from the next chair to which the lilac haired blader quickly sent him a look, one that read 'cut it out'.

"So you don't want to study abroad or anything?"

Immediately Dylan gave the group a pathetic look, "Um hello? I'm from L.A. _We _don't study abroad, people from abroad come to _us_," Pulling her glass of water closer, she looked around the table, "Shouldn't you guys be in college?"

"We beyblade," Spencer answered.

Dylan nodded and gestured her hand as if to tell the Blitzkrieg Boy to continue but when he didn't, she raised a brow, "That's it?"

Immediately Ian threw the girl a challenge, "What do _you_ do?"

"I go to school, I cheerlead, and I look good,"

As Ian only rolled his eyes, Bryan decided to take a stab at her original question: "If any of us wants to enrol in post-secondary education, we can, but then what would become of this team?"

The blonde nodded as if to understand, subtly shifting her orbs to Kai who gave her a threatening look. Soon dinner was over and as usual, everyone parted ways. Mindlessly YouTube-ing on his laptop, the phoenix carried a mildly bored expression. When he heard his door open, he didn't even bother looking back. He already knew who it was.

"We need to talk, sweetheart,"

What the heck was this? A breakup talk for a relationship that never existed in the first place? He opened his mouth to tell her to get the hell out of his room when he felt her turn his chair around and sit on him. "What are you doing?"

"Talking to you,"

"I meant what are you doing?" He used his hands to gesture her sitting on him.

"Am I hurting your thingy?" She shifted around a little, her blonde strands swaying at the movement.

Her hair was done in a half ponytail sort of, clipped up with some bobby pins. He could tell there was no kind of dye in it, just 100 percent virgin hair, slightly darker at the roots and fading out into a lighter golden colour with naturally built-in highlights all around. Lustrous and nourished were the first two things that came to mind at the sight of her hair. Finally, he turned his attention back to the situation, "Someone's going to come in and see,"

"It'll be a quickie," Realizing her 'accidental' mistake, she chuckled, "I mean it'll be quick...unless you _want_ a quickie,"

Taking a deep breath, he gave her an irritated look, "What do you want?"

"How come," She started, her eyes focusing on his t-shirt and her fingers tracing the letters of the brand, "you don't wanna tell them you wanna go to university?"

"This isn't any of your business. Get out,"

"Is it because you feel like you'll be betraying them?"

"Are you done?"

"What you want to do is your right," She paused, "Unless they don't have those kinds of rights in Russia..." She narrowed her eyes in confusion before continuing, "I think you should go to school if you want to. You don't have to feel like you're being disloyal to them,"

"Nobody else has brought up schooling,"

"If you're doing it secretly, maybe they are too,"

"None of them would keep a secret,"

"Then maybe they're just not as smart as you,"

"Hn,"

"How long have you been on this team?"

"It's been an on and off relationship,"

She grinned, "Look at you, making a joke,"

"I try,"

"Well, Mattie told me you've been with this team for the last two years and this will be your third. Apparently before that you were on a different team with Tyson," She confessed before resting an elbow on his shoulder, her face in her palm, "Two teams; you have commitment issues,"

"_Three_ teams. Before the Bladebreakers, I was with the Blade Sharks,"

"Pimpin',"

"Seeing as I've answered all your questions, I'd like to get back to work now,"

"What's the matter with you, Kai?" And as he cocked a brow at her, she beamed, "I thought guys always liked girl on top."

**x x x**

Sitting in the locker room, Max did some last minute adjustments to his beyblade. At the same time, he focused on the small television screen in the room that was airing the current battle between the Blitzkrieg Boys and a team that probably stood no chance against them.

The All Stars would be called down for the second set of battles after the Blitzkrieg Boys, and after them, he was informed Ray's team would be playing in the third set.

Looking over at the match taking place, he caught a glimpse of Kai catching his blade in victory, the second for the Russian team resulting in their win for the set. His brows furrowed slightly at his ex team captain's back; every year Kai had the chance of facing Tyson in the finals. This time, Max wanted it all.

But he was sure that's exactly what Ray wanted too.

And maybe it was only a matter of time before Kenny wanted in on the action.

It was something they all wanted: to face Tyson, to defeat him, not to overthrow him, but to know they were _good _enough. Kai, Ray, Max, and Tyson carried a very strange and unique relationship. They all wanted to _compete _with one another. None of them were jealous of each other. Well, maybe a _little_ bit but only in good nature. Besides, a little jealousy among friends was a good thing. In a sense, it meant you _respected_ them and thought of them very highly.

Apart from all this, one would do _anything_ for another and no matter what they would always be there for each other.

It didn't matter if the original team was broken up – they were _still_ the Bladebreakers, always, and forever. It was something very, very, very few people understood.

"Max, we have to go,"

The blonde looked over his shoulder to find Emily. Nodding he got up and followed the rest of the All Stars to the arena.

Meanwhile, instead of heading to their own locker rooms, the Blitzkrieg Boys stuck around, grabbing a seat in the audience to watch the battle against the American team and some team from Brazil. Though it seemed like Kai could care less, he was the person that probably cared the most about the match.

The All Stars were introduced, immediately causing pandemonium from the Americans that had travelled to Russia just to see them in action. It was when the cheer captain was projected onto the large TV screen in the stadium that the Blitzkrieg Boys realized just how patriotic some people could be, or certain _countries _rather: 'USA' was tattooed on one of her cheeks, the 'U' in blue, the 'S' in white, and the 'A' in red. Sticking out of the back of her skirt were two miniature American flags, and in her hands, a jumbo-sized one. Two beaded necklaces hung over her cheerleader uniform, one red, one blue, and even her fingernails represented the colours of the United States.

Nonetheless, Dylan wasn't the only crazy one. A few other cheerleaders stood near her, some of them sporting those oversized New Era Philadelphia baseball hats to specifically represent where the All Stars were from and to brag that they were from the same place, some of them flashing the all familiar red and white striped underwear with a patch of blue with stars.

"Pardon me," Tala cleared his throat before standing up. He reached into the back of his jean pockets and randomly pulled out a flag and began waving it in the air.

Bryan gave his suddenly nationalistic team captain a pathetic look, "You don't even like the All Stars, you idiot,"

"YEAH! LOS ANGELES REPRESENT! WHAT!"

"K..."

The battle begun with Rick stepping up to the platform. He hadn't changed at all; he was still very powerful, arrogant, and a big guy. Winning his round, he exchanged positions with Max as the blonde went up for the second match. As the battle ended within a couple of minutes with Max winning, a very faint and almost unnoticeable smirk played on Kai's lips.

The case was the same when the White Tigers were in the third set, facing off against another European team and Ray had won his first battle easily. Kevin had lost the second round, resulting in a third match between Mariah and a player from the other team. In the end, the White Tigers were officially named the winner and that was not surprising.

The All Stars had watched the game as well and when it was over, they exited the arena to head back to their locker room to pick up their belongings. It was in the middle of their march down the hallways that the team looked up when Michael let out a laugh, "I see Tala Junior," He nodded his head over to a blonde standing around by a water fountain, surrounded by other girls in the same uniform.

When eye contact was made, she gave them a slight wave to which was returned by almost everyone except Emily. If everything Julia, Hilary – and Mariah – had said about Dylan was true, she wanted to steer clear of the girl. She didn't have time for childish and nonsensical drama.

Nonetheless, the blonde had approached her first out of her entire team, "Good game,"

"Thank you," The ginger showed appreciation very simply.

"So you're from L.A. or something?" Enquired Michael, absentmindedly throwing his baseball into his glove.

"Born and bred,"

"So then Tala -"

"That idiot only pretends to be Russian," Dylan was quick to inform, "He thinks it'll make people believe he actually has balls and isn't gay,"

Michael laughed and dangled an arm around the blonde and looked over at his team, "I like this one already!"

Eddy grinned, "Blitzkrieg Mans are going down this year!"

"Hey, so we're having a get together at a club tonight," Team captain Michael started, "And you're invited,"

Dylan nodded, "Coolness,"

"Meet us at the hotel," Eddy added, "We'll all go from there, yahmean?"

**x x x**

With one leg on the coffee table and the other on the floor, Tala looked pretty much bored out of his mind and he flipped through the channels on TV trying to find something interesting to watch. It was after dinner and though he was on dishwashing duty with Ian, the two of them had chosen to _postpone_ it. That kind of meant wait until Bryan got fed up and did it himself. Of course they didn't pull the scam all the time; they used the 'get out of jail for free' card once every couple of weeks.

"Can you give me a ride?"

Raising a brow, the redhead looked to his side to find his younger sibling dressed up and ready to head out, "Where are you going?"

"Clubbing,"

"K, first of all dipshit, you're underage. Second, it's a school night. Third, I'm the boss here and I don't remember you asking me," He examined her to find another 'big brother' type reason, deciding whether to make a 'your dress is too short' or 'you're showing too much skin' comment. Unfortunately, neither held true. It was a very simple black dress, and to his surprise, relatively covered up.

It sort of looked like a long t-shirt and stuck to her skin tightly, not tight to the point where it was disturbing, but appropriately snug. It was a scoop-neck, ended a little above mid-thigh, and had quarter length sleeves. Her BFF locket was present as always, she'd chose to accessorize with a turquoise bracelet, a pink clutch, and some black heels.

"Is this another Hilary related thing with Kai?" He asked.

"No, it's a thing with the All Stars,"

"Don't act like you have friends, Dill Pickle. They don't like you,"

"Actually, they don't like _you_,"

"Probably because I whoop their ass in the tournament every year,"

"No, they just don't like you because you're queer, Tala,"

"Well anyway, you can't go,"

"I got ready. I'm going,"

"You should have asked me first,"

"I just did,"

"No, you asked me for a ride, not if you could go. Besides, I don't want to be responsible for any shit that goes down,"

"I'm _just_ going out, no 'shit' is going to go down,"

"You're gonna get wasted and go home with some guy and who's gonna have to go out and look for you? Me. And I don't have time and patience for that,"

"I'm not going home with no fool,"

"That's what all girls say, Dylan. Trust me, I'm a guy, I know. Every time I go out and I'm with a girl, she turns to their friends and says 'hey, make sure I go home with you' and then she ends up coming home with me,"

"That's because you're a creep,"

"All guys are creeps,"

The blonde made a noise of frustration and stomped one foot on the floor, "I'm going!"

"Without a ride? Good luck,"

When the sound of someone coming down the stairs was heard, the two Ivanovs' looked to their sides to find the slate haired blader coming down. Fully ignoring the redhead, the bluenette tossed Dylan her jacket before pushing her out of the house, making their way to the BMW. As the two got in, Tala had followed them outside, yelling profanities, mainly at his teammate. All the while, Kai watched through his rear view mirror as the team captain situated himself behind his car, making it impossible for him to leave the driveway. He started up the car and decided to just wait it out and when his patience diminished, he revved the engine to warn the redhead. When that failed to work, he shifted the gear into reverse and began driving little by little, forcing Tala to move away.

At last he was out of the driveway and onto the roads where the redhead approached the driver's side and tapped at the window. Rolling it down slightly, he eyed Tala in an irritated manner.

"I said she can't go, Kai,"

"Is that all?"

"Kai!"

"You go out all the time,"

"I'm older!"

"You went out when you were seventeen,"

"I'm a guy!"

Seeing as he was going to continue with excuses, Kai just closed the window and sped off. Within minutes, he turned into the hotel where the All Stars were staying. Just as Dylan had thanked him and was about to exit the vehicle, he grabbed her by the wrist, "I don't care if you don't follow Tala's rules," He begun, "But you have to follow mine. You're only allowed two drinks, and yes, shots count as one drink. Your curfew is 2 AM. The only guy you have permission to be around is Max, other than that you are to stay with Emily at all times. Take this," He held out his phone, "If anything happens send me a message, I'll get it on my laptop. Or call Bryan's phone, I'll pick up,"

"You're forgetting _one_ more thing," At that, he reached into his wallet and pulled out some money only to have her roll her eyes, "No. You're forgetting to give me a kiss. When Hilary becomes your girlfriend, that's what she's going to expect from you and if you don't give her what she wants, Tyson will,"

"Hn,"

And when it was obvious he wasn't going to comply, she did the honours. She pulled him by one of the drawstrings of his hoodie and planted a big fat smooch on his cheek, "And don't worry, you're still my favourite beyblader and I'm still your number one fan," Laughing, she got out of the car and walked into the hotel lobby.

**x x x**

The night was a boring one for Mathilda. It usually was. Miguel and the other guys had gone out for a while, leaving her be in the hotel room with peace and utter silence. Sighing, the pink haired girl continued with the book she was unwillingly reading. As she started flipping the page, she was startled by a knock on the door. It couldn't have been the guys; they had the keys. Dumping the book to her side, she rolled out of bed and opened the door, surprised to find Dylan. All glammed up, it looked like she was ready for a party.

"Um, hi..." Mathilda greeted at last, wondering why the blonde was here.

"Get ready loser," Dylan invited herself in, "We're going out,"

The pinkette blinked a couple of times, the door still open even though the blonde was inside, "Out? Where? Why?"

"To a club. Wear something nice,"

At last Mathilda closed the door and turned to the other girl, "I'm not legal yet, I can't go to a club," That wasn't even the real reason; why did Dylan want to take her with her? Did this have something to do with Tala and Julia again? Maybe Hilary and Tyson? What about Mariah? She'd sort of heard about the whole dinner fiasco. She watched the blonde ignore her and instead stand over her pile of clothes. Pulling out a black skirt and a white tank top, she threw it at her. Eyeing the clothes in hesitation, she looked up at Dylan, "But -"

"Put it on!" She demanded.

Nodding quickly, Mathilda strolled into the bathroom and quickly changed. It was when she emerged Dylan did some serious adjustments: the original length of the skirt was supposed to be knee-length but the blonde pulled it up to her waist, instantly revealing more leg than Mathilda was comfortable with. With the white tank top tucked into the skirt, the outfit looked more like a colour block dress than two separate pieces.

The pink haired girl appeared a little hesitant, her hands fiddling at the hem, "It's so short..."

Dylan gave Mathilda a pathetic look, "Shut up,"

"If I bend over you can see my underwear..."

"The only time you'll need to bend over is when you're fucking a guy, hun," The blonde concluded. After a few more modifications and such, she was taken to the All Stars suite where pre-drinking was taking place. While Michael and Dylan engaged themselves into a conversation – about how homo Tala was – Mathilda stood at a corner by herself awkwardly.

This wasn't her crowd, really. Emily was almost as intimidating as some of the Blitzkrieg Boys: she was highly intelligent, very upfront, and perhaps a little judgemental. Eddy was a goddamn giant and some of his slang was things that Mathilda would never understand. Michael and Dylan's platonic 'partners in crime' bond was meant to be from the start; he was like the varsity jock and she was cheer captain.

"Hey Mathilda," And then there was Max, the good guy, "I didn't know you'd be coming with us,"

The pinkette let out a shy smile, "Um, yeah...Dylan invited me. How am I going to get into the club?"

Max winked, "We'll get you in, don't worry. Anyways, do you want a drink?"

"Um..."

"Of course she does," Interrupted Dylan as she passed Mathilda a shot of tequila. Though uncertain about all this, the pink haired girl accepted it anyway. She was especially surprised when Emily handed her and the blonde a lime slice and kept one for herself. The ginger raised her shot glass as a signal, and together all three girls gulped down the alcohol, making that tequila face and quickly sucking on the lime.

After spending another thirty minutes at the hotel, they'd taxied it to a lively club. Bribed by Michael and Eddy with a generous amount of cash, the bouncer had let the two underage girls in. With fame came their own booth and free bottle service.

Michael and Eddy, after a couple of Coronas, had left the booth to chase after some Russian booty and perhaps bag them. Max stuck around with Emily, Mathilda, and Dylan and being a guy, he was expected to do most of the paying. And that's exactly what he did: blow his Benjamins on cocktails and shots.

**x x x**

2:04 AM. Parked on the other side of the road, Kai narrowed his eyes at the club's entrance. After a couple of seconds, he watched Max make an exit, carrying what appeared to be a partially passed out Mathilda and holding onto a slightly bent over, stumbling, and barefoot Dylan, her heels in her hands. Where Mathilda had even come from and why she was in such a state was beyond him and he really had no desire to know.

As his ex teammate got closer, Kai got out of his car, "Hey man," Max addressed, "You think you can drop Mathilda off at her hotel on your way?"

"Hn,"

"Thanks Kai," By now, Max was fully accustomed to Kai's dialect; what he had really said was 'fine'.

As the All Star proceeded to put Mathilda into the car and buckle her in, the slate haired nineteen year old crossed his arms and looked down at Dylan, "I said two drinks,"

"Ah had 2,"

"How many did you _actually_ have?"

"3," Did she think he was an idiot? He raised a brow as if to tell her he didn't believe her to which she came up with a new answer, "4,"

From behind him, he heard Max sigh indicating the number was well over four for both the girls, "Look, just take them home,"

Nodding, he parted ways with Max who went back to the club where the rest of his team still were. After dropping Mathilda off to her hotel and all the way up to her room where he was greeted with a 'what the fuck?' from Miguel, he headed home with Dylan. Once on their property, he held her by her upper arm and dragged her inside.

Bryan poked his head out of the kitchen and Tala only shifted his gaze from the television screen and towards the two, "Did you enjoy yourself, Dill Pickle?" The question was sarcastic of course. He was displeased with the whole situation: his sister disobeying him, his own friend _helping_ his sister disobey him, "How much have you had tonight?"

"I ain' have no mothafuckin' drink. Man, fuck you, fuck Russia, fuck these mothafuckin' tiles," The blonde eyed the floor in disgust, "They slippery," Her drunken rambling earned her a pathetic look from Tala and a shake of the head from Bryan. Lazily and messily running a hand through her hair, she swayed a little before staggering backwards and falling into the closet behind her.

Standing by the door, Kai seemed indifferent as Dylan tried, unsuccessfully, to get up and out of the closet. From the corner of his eyes he watched Tala head up to his room and shut the door and a familiar _click_ noise told him his team captain had locked it.

Meanwhile, Bryan had made his way over to the hot mess and helped her to her feet. He took her upstairs and to her room. At least he tried. Fiddling with the door knob that wasn't going to open for obvious reasons, the lilac haired blader pounded on the door, "Open the door, Tala,"

"She lost her privilege of sleeping in this room for tonight,"

Bryan rolled his eyes, "Stop acting like an idiot,"

"I never gave her permission to go out and for that, there are consequences,"

"You imbecile," Bryan remarked, "Every time _you_ go out, you come home wasted and go to sleep on the kitchen table. And just for the record, you've passed out in the very same closet more times than I can remember,"

"Well tonight is her turn to sleep in the kitchen,"

Though Bryan and Tala continued to argue, Kai could see this wasn't going to go anywhere. They were both stubborn; every member of the Blitzkrieg Boys was. Tala wasn't going to open the door and Bryan would continue bickering for the rest of the night if he had to.

"She'll sleep in my room," As he verbalized the proposal, Bryan peeled his eyes off the door and to Kai quizzically, "I'll take the couch downstairs,"

As Bryan nodded in truce and headed over to his own room, the phoenix glared at the blonde in frustration and annoyance. Instead of giving him some eye contact like he had hoped, she just stood there, rocking back and forth on both her legs to stabilize herself, one hand retarded-ly rubbing the side of her face.

"Kai..." Did she want a cheeseburger again? "I have to pee,"

"Hn," He flicked on the lights to the washroom to let her know where to go. He waited in the hallway until she was done before leading her to his room. As she dumped herself on the bed immediately, he grabbed an extra blanket and went downstairs and lied down on one the couch that was facing the TV.

After aimlessly watching bits and pieces of random shows, he turned off the television. Sometime after falling asleep, he could vaguely feel something crawl under the blanket and onto him. Unable to tell the difference between reality and dream world at the moment, he checked it off as the latter and didn't react to it.

Traces of strawberry, raspberry, a dash of vanilla, and maybe even a hint of orange...whatever or whoever it was smelled _delicious_. Content with whatever fantasy he was having, he welcomed the entity, letting it nestle closer to him.

* * *

**I'm on my period. Sorry, I had nothing better to say. **

**Thanks a million for your reviews, bitches!**

**Kickstartmyhart**

**Crying Sorceress –** Yes, it was Kenny who said the lemon and butter thing! And stereotypical stuff about Toronto is that we're kinda rude because everything is very fast-paced here and we basically think we're the shit lol. And I didn't know California had a lot of Asians!

**SouthernDragon**

**Native-kitten**

**The Master of the Hobos – **Well I can tell you it's not another CHEERLEADING team...lol.

**Just a girl**

**CryMeOut**

**Darial Kuznetsova – **Yeah! Tala's such a perve! Nasty man.

**Desastrus – **I'm kicked out of university and don't have a job so I have LOTS of time on my hands lol. And this story keeps me sane. And I'm not ENTIRELY gasping at the no bf part...I was a late bloomer myself. I got a boyfriend when I was 18. But after that, let me tell you: single life is the best life! My ex was a faggot! And where do you live?


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

As the alarm sounded, Tala gave whatever button a hard hit and turned it off. He rolled over, sat up, and grabbed a soft-cover book to throw at Dylan to wake her up for school. He swung the book back and just as he was about to release it into the air, he caught a glimpse of the blonde's empty bed. Quickly recalling the punishment he'd given her, he got up and departed from his room.

He knew she couldn't possibly be sleeping in the kitchen but he checked there anyway. As he'd assumed, she wasn't there. Stupidly, he even checked the closet by the main door to the house where, as Bryan had so informatively mentioned, he himself had fell and fell asleep into a couple of times. Nope, no sign of her in there.

It was when he turned around and caught sight of the sofa, he wrinkled his nose. Kai sleeping on the couch was not that big of a deal – or surprising – but what was odd was the fact that there was another pair of legs sticking out from the end of the blanket. And there was a mass of blonde hair on his chest.

Tala wasn't dumb; he knew Spencer wasn't the one sleeping with Kai...that would be awkward.

Marching over to the couch, he angrily pulled off the blanket. Bad move. Ugh, he did _not_ need to see that. Dylan's dress had ridden up well above her underwear. As if that wasn't bad enough, his best friend's hand was resting on his sister's _technically_ bare bum. His other hand lay on the armrest beside his head with the blonde reaching for it and holding it. What was this? Tango? Shit man. She was just sprawled all over him like he was some sort of queen size mattress.

Tala's first questions? Why were they sleeping together? Why was Kai breaking the man-code for real this time? Why didn't the house smell like hash browns yet?

_Any_ways, Kai had finally woke up. As for his first questions? Why was Tala eyeing him down like Jet Li about to attack an inexperienced fighter? Why was Dylan sleeping with him? And his final thought? FML.

The slate haired nineteen year old tried to put two and two together mentally, wondering when, why, and how Dylan had ended up with him. He remembered lending her his room while he bunked on the couch for the night. Then he watched TV for a while before going to sleep and having some sort of dream about some girl coming to bed with him. Looking down at the blonde, he realized it was never a dream.

"Kai," The redhead started, "You're in violation of Man Law which states that a guy's sister is _strictly_ and _forever _out of bounds if you've known the guy for more than 24 hours and I _think_ that you and I have known each other for just a little over 24 hours, wouldn't you say?"

Kai brows furrowed in frustration; not only was she annoying the hell out of him but the dumb bitch was causing tension between him and Tala! Pushing the slut off him and waking her up in the process, he grabbed the blanket and headed to his room, slamming the door shut.

**x x x**

With her elbows on the table, Emily held the cup of coffee with both her hands and took a sip. Beside her sat Miriam and a half-eaten muffin waited to be finished while she preoccupied herself with her cell phone. When she heard the screech of two other chairs at their table, she looked up to find Mariah and Hilary with their own coffees and something light to eat for breakfast.

"Morning," Hilary greeted as she broke her cinnamon roll in half. Together the four sat at the cafe that was situated a couple of blocks from their hotel and conversed. Of course Emily and Mariah avoided each other as much as possible, exchanging snarky comments when opportunity was given only to have Hilary and Miriam intervene every other second. There was silence for a couple of seconds as they ran out of things to talk about before the brunette remembered: "Max told me you guys took Dyltch out with you guys last night,"

The ginger provided Hilary with a lame look, "What is Dyltch?"

"It's Dylan and bitch put together,"

Emily rolled her eyes, "Actually," She begun, "I don't really know what you find so bad about Dylan," While Mariah and Hilary exchanged glances, the All Star continued, "She seems perfectly fine to me,"

Miriam made a face, "Everyone has met this girl except for me. Even Mathilda. By the way, she went too last night, didn't she?"

Emily nodded, "And I've never seen that girl so wasted in my life. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen Mathilda drink before,"

"Why was Mathilda with you guys?" Enquired Hilary.

"Dylan brought her," The American detailed.

"That doesn't make any sense," The brunette took a swig of her coffee, "She's using her,"

The spectacle-clad girl shrugged indifferently, "What she's doing with Mathilda is none of my concern and I could really care less,"

Hilary sighed, "She's young and vulnerable. She doesn't get the fact that she's being used. Trust me, this skank is beyond horrible,"

"Maybe you guys haven't been nice to her," Miriam posed.

"I haven't done _anything_ to her," The brunette defended, "Neither has Mariah or Julia. She has something against all of us: she's purposely flaunting Tyson in front of me, when Mariah went over to the Blitzkrieg Boys' house with dinner she made things _so_ awkward for her and Tala, _and_ she's ruining everything between him and Julia," As Miriam let out a chuckle out of the blue, Hilary turned her attention to the bluenette, "What?"

"Nothing," Again, she expressed amusement, "Are those two official or what?"

"She hasn't even been able to get in his pants..."

"But everyone gets into his pants," Emily defied, "I'm sure even Max's _mom_ has been in his pants,"

Miriam looked towards the ceiling, a finger resting under her chin, "I just pictured them,"

"Forget sex," Mariah interrupted with a slight eye roll, "They haven't even _officially_ been able to go out yet,"

"Hmm," The bluenette got up suddenly and put on her coat, "Anyways, I hear Julia's coming here too so I'm going to leave; I don't wanna see her face,"

The difference between Emily and Mariah's rivalry and Julia and Miriam's rivalry was the fact that at least Emily and Mariah could be at the same place at the same time.

Hilary tilted her head and sighed, "Can't you and Julia just make up already? Just talk things out, come on,"

"You never even told us what happened with you guys. You two just completely stopped talking," Mariah added.

"Look," Miriam swung her purse over her shoulder, "You guys are friends with her and I'm cool with that but to me, she's just a really shady person," She rummaged through her wallet and slapped some cash down on the table, "Your coffee's are all on me. Alright, I'm gonna get going, see you guys around."

**x x x**

While Miguel, Claude, and Aaron had all gone for training, Mathilda lay in her bed with quite possibly her very first hangover. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected it to be. She hadn't thrown up and there was no headache but she was tired and basically felt like crap and didn't have an appetite for anything. She just wanted to sleep for the rest of the day.

Her plan was cut short by a knock on the door. Rolling over to her other side, the pink haired girl eyed the door debating whether to open it or not. She did_ not_ want to get up. Deciding to ignore it, she closed her eyes only to be disturbed by another knock, this time accompanied by a voice, "Mattie, are you here?"

There was only _one_ person who had nicknamed her Mattie. Taking a deep breath, Mathilda stumbled out of the bed in her nightgown – that she had no idea how she'd changed into last night – and opened the door for Dylan. A baby pink winter hat sat slouched on her head and her black pea coat was unbuttoned, her school uniform visible underneath. And for anyone picturing something 'clean-cut' and 'professional'...don't. School uniforms were never worn they way they were supposed to be worn: miniskirts would always be rolled up too high, shirts would never be tucked in, and girls would always tailor their tops and bottoms to _fit_ according to their body.

Dylan was living proof. What should have been black 'business-y' shoes were salt-stained UGGs with the hems of her pants lazily tucked inside. The pants themselves were low-rise and filled her behind adequately. Though her school uniform was anything but fashionable and it most certainly wasn't her style, it didn't look entirely unfortunate on her. Then again, maybe it was her pretty face that made her look good.

Mathilda rubbed her eyes, "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Skipping," Came her explanation as she walked inside, dumping her pink _Jansport_ backpack on the ground, "I feel like shit," She threw off her jacket, "And I look like shit. Asshole wouldn't let me stay home today," Mathilda's eyes widened slightly when she watched the blonde strip out of her uniform and just stand in front of her with her underwear and a black camisole, "He gave me a ride to school and as soon as he drove away, I came here,"

"Why?"

"I just wanna sleep here,"

That was it? She just wanted to sleep here? "Um...okay, sure," Mathilda made her way back to her bed, surprised that Dylan had followed her into the same one, "Won't Tala find out you were skipping school?"

"If I wake up at 2 then I can get back to my school at 3 and he'll never know," The blonde clued her in, "So wake me up at 2,"

Mathilda nodded, setting an alarm on her cell phone before resting her head on the same pillow as Dylan. Though she was fatigued, she felt the need to ask: "What happened last night?"

Dylan flipped over to her back and eyed the ceiling in laughter, "We were messed up," Rolling over and placing both her hands under the side of her face, she eyed the pinkette, "I wanna show you something,"

"What?"

Instead of getting a reply, Mathilda watched the blonde reach over to her backpack and pull out what appeared to be a camera. Pressing a couple of buttons, she held the device towards her and from the looks of it, it was a video. She recognized the scenery to be from the formal that took place a few days ago, the recording beginning with her getting out of the car along with the Blitzkrieg Boys.

For a while the video looked irrelevant and useless and Mathilda wondered why she was even being shown such a thing. That was until it zoomed into something happening in the parking lot and upon realizing _what_, the smaller girl gasped. Baby pink eyes widened when another short film was presented and when it was all over, she couldn't help but look over at Dylan in shock, seeking some type of explanation.

The blonde turned off the camera and tossed it back into her bag, "You can't tell anyone,"

"But -"

"I _said _you can't tell anyone,"

Hesitating for a bit, Mathilda nodded, "Who else knows about this?"

"Just me," The blonde pulled the covers to her waist and turned towards the hedgehog, "And you."

**x x x**

Dinner at the Blitzkrieg Boys' household was pretty ordinary. Not wanting to cook anything today, Bryan had ordered pizza for the team. While the guys had their pizza accompanied by beer, Dylan had hers' with chocolate milk.

"This weekend," Ian started, "I say we go out,"

Bryan eyed the indigo haired blader, "And what about training?"

"Screw training," Spencer cut in, "I'm going out Friday night,"

"And Saturday," Added Ian and the two boys leaned over the dinner table to give each other props.

The team captain cracked open a second beer for himself, "I'll bring Julia,"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Tala furrowed his brows at Kai, "I didn't take her out anywhere yet,"

"What this ass," Spencer jabbed a finger at Kai, "means to say is: bros before hoes,"

"Um hello?" Dylan pointed at herself.

"Um _hellllooooo_, you're not coming," Came Tala's response and before he could continue the conversation with the rest of the team, his Blackberry rung. Finding _Dad_ displayed on the caller ID, he wiped his hands on his jeans and picked up, "Hi dad. I'm fine. The guys are good too," There was a brief pause, "How Dylan has been?" He seemed to repeat his father's enquiry, "I'm getting another call, hold on," With that, he pressed the 'mute' button, "If I save your ass," He looked over at his sister, "You clean _my_ side of the room for a month, you do _my_ laundry for a month, I get your TV time, you eat whatever the hell Bryan makes for dinner, you make your own lunch for school, and you take over all my dishwashing days. Do we have a deal? Or should I tell mom and dad about your little _adventure_ last night? I'm sure they're love to hear all about you illegally getting into an awesome club and throwing back awesome vodka shots and then grinding up against some awesome 30 year old guy,"

Bryan frowned from the other side of the table, "Yeah, that's very mature, Tala,"

Ignoring his friend, the redhead gave the blonde a stern look, "Pick your poison, Dill Pickle,"

Well, Miss Ivanov, looks like its sink or swim for you, _hun_. "Deal, asshole,"

"Good fucking choice, dumb ass," Tala smirked before going back to the call, "Dylan's been an _angel_ dad. Yes...really,"

The call ended after a couple of minutes and once again, Bryan sighed, "At least you kept your side of the bargain,"

"Of course I kept my side of the bargain," The redhead defended, "Because unlike _some_ people," He eyed Kai, "I'm not a code-breaker. That includes the sibling code,"

Dylan rolled her eyes, "I was simply helping Kai get together with Hilary,"

"By sleeping with him?"

Ian's head shot up, "Wha...?"

"I didn't hear anything last night..."

"Obviously not, idiot," Tala threw his pizza crust at Spencer, "You think this fool would be sitting here having dinner with all his limbs intact if he messed around with my _sister_?" He referred to Kai.

"Wait," Ian interrupted again and narrowed his eyes at the bluenette, "You like Hilary?"

Spencer's eyes widened, "Seriously, man?"

Dylan's gaze shifted from the two uninformed to Kai, "I didn't know that they didn't know,"

You know how you flick on a lighter and drop it into gasoline? Well, that's basically what happened here.

"Why does _she_ know about this and we don't?" Ian piped in again.

"I knew about it," Tala raised his hand.

Bryan nodded, "And so did I,"

"Then why didn't I?"

"Because you're fucking dumb, that's why,"

Spencer screwed up his face, "But doesn't Hilary like Tyson?"

"I thought there was something going on with Dylan and Tyson,"

"Then what about Garland?"

_And_ what about Kai? Because while she'd 'interacted' with both Tyson and Garland, she'd also expressed undeniable interest towards the Blitzkrieg Boy, and though Tala was told that Dylan was 'helping' the bluenette get with Hilary, Bryan, Spencer, and Ian begged to differ. After all, they'd seen a lot more 'episodes' between the blonde and Kai than the redhead had. Then of course there were those 'episodes' that no one even knew about.

Dramarama.

Or maybe she was just a dirty skank.

Tala rolled his eyes at the commotion taking place. He watched Kai leave the dinner table and taking his drink with him, a sign that it had gotten too awkward for him and he was undoubtedly pissed off. Crossing his arms, the redhead gave his sister a lame look, "Look what you did,"

"_You_ kept mentioning the stupid Man Rule thing,"

"_You_ mentioned Hilary."

**x x x**

_"She didn't buy the milkshake. She bought you."_

Mariah's words replayed in Mathilda's head. She didn't deny the fact that there was _some_ truth to it; she knew she was being played as a string puppet.

"Still hung over?"

The pinkette looked beside her to find Miguel joining her on the same bench outside their hotel. "No," She shook her head, "Just thinking about some stuff, that's all,"

"What about?"

Mathilda sighed, "Miguel, what do you think about Dylan?"

"She's pretty hot," He shrugged his shoulders, "But I don't like what she's doing to you,"

"What is she doing to me?"

"She's taking advantage of you and treating you like garbage and getting you to do all her dirty work,"

"I know," She admitted, "But she does it in a 'nice' way. I know it sounds weird, but it's true,"

"That's how girls like her are, Mathilda. And if you haven't noticed, she's just like Tala: controlling, uncaring, she has the same attitude, and just the way he macks on every other girl that walks by him, she's a maneater,"

"I guess..."

"Why do you let her do that to you? Why did you even go out with her last night and then let her come over this morning?"

"I don't know..."

"I think you do know, you just don't want to admit it to yourself. I know if you _really_ wanted to, you would have said no,"

Mathilda frowned, "I can't say no to her,"

"I know you and I know that you could have," Miguel got up, "But like I said, you would have only if you wanted to say no,"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think it's pretty obvious. Anyways, I'm going inside, it's cold. You coming?"

The pink haired girl nodded, "In a minute."

**x x x**

With his headphones dangling around his neck, Kai lay on his bed and held up a _Scientific American_ magazine, reading an article about exoplanets. Dinner was over a couple of hours ago and he could hear the sound of the TV from his room, indicating that some of his teammates were downstairs.

Abruptly, there was a knock on his door. He knew right away it wasn't any of the guys; the knocking was very light. His theory was confirmed when the door opened a little bit and Dylan poked her head inside, "Hey,"

"Get out,"

"Can I come in?"

"No," He didn't even bother looking at her or the doorway.

"Can I -"

"_Don't_ ask me again and _don't_ ask me any other questions. Get out and leave me be; I've said it in plain and simple English, it shouldn't be difficult to understand for an American,"

"Okay. Goodnight Kai," And when she closed the door and really did leave, he found it very strange. The fact that she'd even decided to knock was surprising; so far, every time that she'd come to his room, she came without warning. And he didn't fail to notice her submissive behaviour. She was very normal about it; she didn't sound upset.

Regardless, he was just happy she left him alone and thus he continued with his reading.

He wasn't embarrassed by what had happened during dinner, he was hardly ever embarrassed by any situation, really. In fact, he couldn't even recall an embarrassing situation he'd ever been in. Ian and Bryan knowing about the Hilary thing wasn't that big of a deal. He was just annoyed by the fact that his life was being _publicized_. Truth be told, he never admitted being fond of Hilary to anyone; Tala and Bryan had just figured it out.

As did Dylan.

Kai knew he didn't make it obvious; it was just that Tala 'knew' him 'well enough'. His relationship with the redhead was a strange one, much like his relationship with Tyson. Though Tala and Tyson were two very, very, _very_ different people, Kai carried a similar bond with them. The both of them knew how to 'read' him and he knew how to 'read' them back. Was one more important than the other? No. Did he favourite one more than the other? Though at times it _may_ have seemed like that, the answer was still no.

Of course none of these things were things he'd ever admit to.

By 1 in the morning, he decided it was finally time to hit the sack. Climbing out of his bed to get to his closet, he stopped midway. Noticing a note tucked underneath his door, he crouched down and picked it up and read over the pink-inked writing:

_Sorry about this morning and dinner, Superman._

_xoxo Dylan_

_PS: You have a cute butt._

* * *

**HELP! **My ex boyfriend (who I haven't had any contact since December of 2009) told my best friend to tell me that he wanted to meet up with me to talk to me about something important. My friend told me and then I unblocked my ex from my MSN and asked him what was up and he said he really needed to meet up with me. He said he didn't think it was a good idea to talk about it on MSN or the phone and that he wants to talk within this week.

WTF DOES THIS MEAN? WHY DOES HE WANT TO SEE ME? I know for a FACT that he doesn't want to get back together and he knows I sure as hell don't. Why want to meet up after almost a year? Has this happened to anyone?

**Some history.**Our relationship was VERY on and off because we fought 24/7 (literally 24/7; he'd call me up at 3 AM when I was sleeping to fight with me about insignificant shit all the way up until like 8 AM). He annoyed the crap out of me, he was a serious asshole, and the breakup was bad (really bad...we got into a physical fight).

It seems kinda shady to me...I don't want to meet up BUT I'm REALLY curious. If I do see him, OBVIOUSLY it would be at a public place like the mall or Starbucks. Anyways, SHOULD I MEET UP?

**Thanks for your reviews!**

**Waffles – **Your mouse story made ME scream. That's SO disgusting omg...how do you still sleep? BARF! Omg, I'd be scared for life!

**Native-kitten – **DLS will be updated...I don't know when exactly. I keep trying to work on it and I think that I'm going to start to make the chapters shorter b/c it's really hard to keep them that long!

**Crying Sorceress – **I was born in Montreal! : ) Two shots do go down like water! Finally someone who's familiar with this. I've read a few stories where the writer is like "OH AND THIS PERSON HAD 1 SHOT AND PASSED OUT!" and I'm just like...that's not even lightweight, that's just effed up. And then there were stories where the writer is like "AND TALA HAD 30 SHOTS!" ...REALLY? THEN WHY IS HE STILL ALIVE AND NOT PUKING AND IN THE HOSPITAL?

**iEXIST**

**sasukechica**

**xxz0eyxx – **YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR BRO'S FRIENDS! I NEED TO KNOW! Lol! Omg, I can't believe you got away with it! Hahaha!

**Darial Kuznetsova – **Bryan's basically a portrayal of my mom when me and my bro fight lmao. But since my mom isn't exactly big and a guy like Bryan...sometimes things get a little out of hand!

**CryMeOut – **I REALLY don't have anything better to do lol. And of COURSE there's going to be more Kai/Dylan!

**Just a girl – **Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of Dylan too hahaha!

**Desastrus – **Singapore? I never would have thought! And I got kicked out of university b/c bad grades. I don't think I'm dumb, it's just that I skipped all my exams, went to 3 classes only out of 8 months of schooling (yeah my dad pretty much freaked when I told him that), and I never handed in my exams. And then there was a shit load of boyfriend drama. Regrets, regrets. Now I'm trying to get a job (b/c my student loans are discontinued as well...) so I can go to college (no university is going to take me b/c I've been dismissed from my university) and THEN get into university that way. Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty much fucked! And I'm not a phone person either, trust me, that was the worst part about having a boyfriend.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Tala smirked as he spooned some cereal out of his bowl and stood next to the blonde by the counter; he was rather amused by Dylan's attempt at making her own lunch for school this morning. So far she had peeled the crusts off two slices of bread.

"What kind of sandwich am I even supposed to make?"

"Why are you asking me?"

Rolling her eyes, she took out some ingredients from the fridge: mayo, ketchup, mustard, cheese – it actually wasn't cheese but Tala thought he'd let his sister 'live and learn' – pickles, relish, and turkey breast.

He watched her put all the condiments, the slice of 'cheese' and everything else. In all honesty, it looked kinda gross; none of the items went together. Finishing the 'masterpiece', she held it up only to wrinkle her nose, "Why is this retarded thing dripping?"

"Because you put too much ketchup, moron," He handed her a Ziploc bag. Stuffing the sandwich inside and throwing it into her schoolbag, she followed her brother outside and into the car. In cold conditions, it was customary to start up the car and let it warm up before you drove.

"Why do you live here?"

Tala raised a brow at the unexpected question, "What do you mean?"

"Do you seriously pick this fucking place over California?"

"Yes,"

"Why?"

"My team is from here,"

"That's it?"

"Basically,"

"Why can't they just live in California?"

"I don't think they'd fit in that well over there,"

"Why?"

"Would you stop asking me why? We live here because we like it here. If you were more open minded, you'd see that this place isn't so bad,"

"What if mom and dad never sent you here? Then what?"

"I don't know; then I probably wouldn't be on this team?"

"Then..."

"Then?"

"Then why do you live here?"

Tala gave her an irritated look, "Do you wanna walk to school?"

And so began the silent drive to school. Once there, she got out of the car and as the bell rung, she ran into the school with all the other uniform-attired students. English and Family Studies were the first two subjects followed by an hour of lunch, something she was looking forward to and wasn't looking forward to both at the same time.

She was hungry but she knew she didn't have – and probably never would have – Bryan's culinary skills. Walking into the cafeteria and claiming a seat at a semi-empty table, she took out the Ziploc bag containing her sandwich. Reaching for the sandwich, she pulled her hand back immediately.

Why was it soggy?

Wrinkling her nose, she poked at the sandwich only to gag at the mush. This time it really did look – and feel – like a bulimic girl's barf. It had come apart and not even a tiny portion of the bread was dry. Disgusted, she hunted down the nearest trash can and disposed of the nastiness.

Swinging her bag over her shoulder and with her wallet in hand, she left the cafeteria and headed out of the school. There must have been some place where she could have bought lunch. And there was; she entered a small restaurant where she spotted other students from her school inside. While waiting in line, she looked up at the chalkboard menu. But it was useless – she couldn't decipher the contents.

"I can't read that," She voiced as her turn came up.

The cashier gave her a strange look before pointing at the board, "Menu!"

"Yeah, I know, I just can't read it. What do you have?"

"We have, we have,"

"You have what?"

"Everything. What you want?"

Confused, she pulled out a ten dollar American bill, "What can I get for this?"

"No," The woman shook her head, "We do not accept. Ruble only."

**x x x**

Passing everyone a glass of water, Bryan took a seat at the dinner table and served himself some food, "So," He began, "Are we all going out tomorrow night?"

"Yeah," Nodded the team captain.

"Is Whore-lia coming with us?"

"Julia's coming," Tala confirmed before looking down at the blonde, "But you're not,"

"Michael got me into a club. Why can't you?"

"Oh, I can get you in," The redhead smirked, "But I don't want to,"

Before some sort of argument could erupt, Bryan quickly cut in, "How was school today?"

"It was okay," Came the blonde's reply, "But Russia is a _really_ weird country,"

"How come?"

"I went to buy lunch today and -"

"But you packed your lunch," Tala interrupted.

"It turned gross, I threw it out," Dylan explained, "So I went to buy something from this place near school and the woman asked me for a condom,"

"_What_?" Ian wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah, she was all 'rubber, rubber' and I was just like 'what the hell are you saying?'," She waved her spoon around as she told the tale, "And I figured she was asking for an eraser so I gave her one and she threw it at my face. Then I left and realized she just wanted a condom," She paused and looked around the table, "So I'm going to need to borrow some Durex's and Trojan's from everyone,"

As Bryan laughed, Tala gave his sister a strange look, "I don't know what's more stupid: you or a chicken. I believe what she said was _Ruble_,"

"Yeah!" Dylan exclaimed, "That's exactly what she said. What an idiot,"

"_You're_ the idiot. Ruble is the Russian currency. She was asking you for money, not a fucking condom,"

"I gave her ten dollars,"

"You gave her _dollars_. She wanted Ruble,"

"I didn't have rubbers,"

"_Ruble_,"

"Whatevs,"

The redhead rolled his eyes, "We'll go to a currency exchange place tomorrow and get your money converted,"

As the conversation about money came to an end, a new one was about to begin. Looking up from his dinner plate, Spencer found the blonde girl eyeing him intently, smiling at him upon eye contact, "What?"

"Why are you single, hun?"

"Huh?"

"I'm just wondering why you don't have a girlfriend already. I mean you're absolutely gorgeous,"

"I am?"

"Obvs," Dylan stated, well, the 'obvious', "I'd totally date you, I really would, but I can't," She gave the older boy a sympathetic smile, "You're Tala's friend and I can't date his friends. But you know what? We're going to find you a nice girl; I'm going to be your wing woman tomorrow,"

"Really?"

Tala narrowed his eyes at his teammate, "She's just saying that so you take her with you tomorrow and that's _not_ happening,"

Spencer crossed his arms, "So Mariah's off limits, that bitch down the street is off limits, and now she wants to help me find a girl and you have a problem with that?"

"Tala's just jealous of you," Dylan provided, "Look at you and look at _him_; he's hideous,"

"Okay, I know what you're doing, you bitch," The redhead spat, "So just stop, it's not working,"

"The only thing that's not working, sweetheart, is your willy," Dylan smiled, "Julia's not going to be happy,"

Spencer smirked, "What she said,"

"Spencer, you fucking dumb ass, you can find a girl yourself. And it doesn't even make sense; you need a wing _man_ not a wing woman,"

"You're just jealous," Spencer crossed his arms, "That I'm gorgeous and she's going to help me find a girl tomorrow."

**x x x**

Friday night had finally arrived...and much to Tala's annoyance, Dylan had been included into their plans to go out. As he quickly pulled a t-shirt over his head, the blonde searched through her side of the closet before yanking a dress off a hanger.

"Don't look, I'm changing,"

"Same to you," Came the redhead's reply as the two siblings both turned opposite ways, one putting on a dress and the other getting into a pair of jeans.

"Done. Beat you,"

Zipping up, the older Ivanov looked over his shoulder, "It wasn't a competition, retard,"

"It was when we were in California,"

"Yeah, when we were _kids_,"

"Well you still lost, fag,"

Rolling his eyes, Tala lazily fell back onto his bed, "How are mom and dad?"

"They're great," She replied, running some mascara through her lashes, "Now that you don't live with them,"

"_Sure_," He voiced sarcastically as he consumed himself with his cell phone.

"So," She began, grabbing a seat on her own bed, "Did you do any other 'nice' things for Mariah recently?"

"Stop screwing around with my friends, Dylan,"

"You don't have any friends, Tala, I think we've established that fact when you came sliding out of mom's uterus,"

"Mom had a C-section when I was born, dumb ass. _You're_ the one that came sliding out like a retard. I wish you slid and fell out the window,"

"I wish the nurse choked you with the umbilical cord,"

"I wish dad threw you out of the car every time we were on the 101 Hollywood and a truck ran over you,"

"I wish -"

The 'competition' was cut short as Bryan poked his head into the room, "You guys ready to go?" Nodding, both siblings got up and headed downstairs where the others were, all set to leave. Both cars were taken and the drive was only a couple of minutes.

"Weren't you supposed to pick up Julia?" Ian asked as they stood in line.

"She's meeting us over here," The redhead informed.

As they got closer, everyone pulled out their cover money only to have the bouncer furrow his brows at the blonde, "Let me see some ID,"

Tala rolled his eyes and whipped out some extra cash and stuffed it into the guard's hand discreetly before pulling Dylan inside. Pushing their way through the crowd, the first place the group headed to was the bar and after getting their drinks, they all separated.

And that was the interesting thing about guys: where girls stayed in packs at clubs, guys split up. Of course Spencer stuck around with Dylan, and true to her word she had set him up with a girl for the night before moving along to find a guy of her own.

Meanwhile, Kai leaned over the railing from the second floor and took in the view. He could sort of feel some random girl from behind _trying_ to dance with him, he caught sight of Tala a few feet away trying to avoid a grenade, and where Bryan, Ian, Dylan, and Spencer were, he had no idea. Looking over his shoulder, he found his team captain trying to walk away and find a quieter place with his phone glued to his ears, a sign that Julia must have arrived. Sure enough, the blonde-brunette had made her way over to the redhead and from the looks of it Max and Ray had come too.

Kai knew Max and Ray wouldn't just tag along with Julia; neither guy was that close to the Spanish blader. The only person that had a strong connection with both parties was Hilary. The phoenix also knew that the brunette wouldn't just randomly invite Max and Ray, there had to be a reason.

And that reason was Tyson.

As theorized, Kai spotted the world champ. It was when Tala pointed him out to his ex teammates and Ray called him over that the slate haired blader approached the group.

"Hey Kai," Max smiled, "Didn't know you were gonna be here,"

"What's going on, man?" Ray greeted with a grin.

The ex Bladebreaker captain nodded in acknowledgement before his gaze fell over Tyson and Hilary, the brunette giving him a slight wave.

"Yo Kai," Tyson started, "Do me a favour and hold onto Hilary; I'm gonna get a drink – you want anything?" The offer was posed for both Kai and Hilary.

Instead of telling him what she wanted, Hilary quickly held onto the dragon's hand, "I'll go with you!"

The bluenette shook his head, "No, just stay here,"

"Be quiet, Tyson, I'm going!"

When Tyson shrugged and led the way, pulling Hilary with him, Kai realized just how much 'in lead' Tyson was in this 'game', as Dylan had put it. For Pete's sake, Hilary hadn't even paid the _slightest_ attention to him; she was so unbelievably focused on Tyson.

Sure Tyson made it pretty obvious that he didn't like Hilary like that but this was a club. Shit happened at clubs. _Shit_ was going to happen between Tyson and Hilary; he'd buy her a drink or two, they'd dance together and when they were comfortable enough they'd _dirty_ dance together, maybe after that they'd kiss a little bit before fully making out and feeling each other up, and finally, perhaps even go home together.

And fuck.

At this moment in time, Kai became aware of the fact that _maybe_ he didn't stand a chance against Tyson when it came to Hilary.

But there was a way around that. Tyson had the World Champion title...Kai wasn't going to let him have Hilary too, nuh uh.

Retreating from the group and going back to where he was standing, he looked at the floor beneath him. It was impossible to single out specific people but he had to try. He recalled what Dylan had worn: a metallic, figure-hugging mini dress, one that looked bronze sometimes, silver at others. Having remembered that, he looked around for some kind of shimmer and blonde hair.

It took him a good ten to fifteen minutes to spot her. She'd made herself at home on the higher platform where the poles were with one hand on the shaft, the other one in the air, and some random dude claiming her as he grinded behind her.

Quickly, Kai headed downstairs, shoving his way through the dance floor and having several drinks spilled on him to get to Dylan. Hopping onto the platform, he physically separated the two, pushing the man away from her. As the stranger furrowed his eyebrows, Kai crossed his arms and loomed over him, "That's my girlfriend,"

Appearing confused and understandably pissed off, the shorter man eyed Dylan, "You know this fucker?"

Kai looked over his shoulder to catch the blonde's reaction. What her response was going to be would completely determine whether a fight would breakout between him and the guy or not. Knowing the type of person Dylan was – one who caused commotion everywhere she went and every chance she got – he tried to prepare himself for the scene that she was about to start, it was something he expected out of her. After all, now was her chance to give him the boot like he always did with her.

* * *

**EX BOYFRIEND.** So I met him. He wanted to get back together. I laughed in his face and took the next bus home.

**GOD WANTS US TO FUCK!** I was at Young and Dundas yesterday (downtown Toronto; YouTube it) and there was a man preaching about Jesus and there was a lady who was going against him saying "GOD WANTS US TO FUCK! DO YOU FUCK? I BET YOU MASTURBATE!" and all that stuff...

THEN SHE GOT NAKED! SHE TOOK OFF ALL HER CLOTHES! I saw EVERYTHING! Her ass, her vag, her tits...holy shit. THENNN...she pees herself and starts smearing the pee on the ground with her barefoot and said "THIS IS MY DICK! IF YOU STEP ON IT I FUCKED YOU!" and then she lit a fire and tried to take a shit on it.

Oh man, only in Toronto...

In the midst of it all, a royally gorgeous military guy took my number. Score? I think so.

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! R E V I E W !**

**Crying Sorceress **

**Waffles **

**Sasukechica – **ARE YOU FROM THE CARIBBEAN? Lucky bitch! Well, minus the hurricane, hope everything's alright! And how is it like to have a flooded house? I seriously can't even picture it!

**CryMeOut – **Oh man, I had some serious friend issues too. You'll learn that only true ones will stick around in the end though! And pick your career CAREFULLY! It's a life changing decision!

**Runwithpaws**

**Just a girl**

**Darial Kuznetsova – **I LOVE Jet Li. Omg. I'd do him.

**Native-kitten **

**Desastrus – **Question: Are you Muslim? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to. And yeah, my parents were pretty effing pissed off when they found out about school. I basically got drunk and told them...made it easier lol. And I'm going to do the same thing in college (accounting) b/c I wanna go back into the same program for university. What are you studying?

**Urduja – **Aw! You actually read my story! Lol! And yes, in some ways, Dylan does reflect me...esp. what she does with guys...I'm not a whore! At least I hope not LOL. And that scene you wrote...hey, who knows...hint hint lol. And it seems like my problems just won't be fixed...then again I'm not really doing anything about it when I should. Thanks for the advice!


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

"That's my girlfriend,"

"You know this fucker?"

The million dollar question. If Dylan said 'no', there'd be a brawl for sure and even though at first glance it was obvious the guy stood no chance against the much taller and jacked Kai, he probably had backup, and if he had backup, that automatically meant Tala, Tyson, Bryan, Ray, Spencer, Max, and Ian would get involved in the fight as well because they 'had Kai's back', and if that happened, then there would be a few broken beer bottles, then the police would get involved and maybe someone would get arrested and all that ugly shit.

What a scenario.

It was avoidable though; if she said 'yes', the man would probably just leave them alone and find another piece of ass for himself.

Kai waited for Dylan's response and he was surprised when she chuckled and shrugged her shoulders at the man, "Apparently,"

Smirking, Kai looked back at the man, "Go home," As the midget muttered some swear words and left, he felt the blonde prop her elbow up on his shoulder.

"What's up, _boo_?"

"Hilary is here," He detailed, "With Tyson,"

"And you want me to get rid of him,"

"Hn,"

"What do I get in return?"

Kai wasn't surprised. Nothing in this world was ever free. Nonetheless, he knew something that would satisfy her. Getting down from the platform, he took her to the bar. Recalling the time they were all at the restaurant and what she had asked Tala for, he ordered a Cosmopolitan and handed over the transparent pink drink garnished with a slice of lime floating on top.

Smiling, she took a sip, "This is nice but I was thinking something a little more _personal_,"

"Enlighten me,"

"You and me, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G,"

"I don't see any trees here,"

Stepping closer, her fingers played with his wispy bangs, "I do,"

"It's not happening,"

"Shut up," Dylan gave him a look, one that undoubtedly translated to 'it's _happening_, bitch'. And it did. With heels on there was no need to tiptoe to reach for the prize. Fortunately for Kai it wasn't anything serious, just an ordinary and clean kiss on the lips where 'returning the favour' wasn't necessary and he really didn't have to do any work except stand there like a brick wall.

It was in that moment he also noticed she wasn't drunk. If he had to guess, he'd say the drink he got her was her first for the night. Why hadn't she taken advantage of the guy she was with? She could have easily scored so many drinks. In addition, Tala had given her extra money anyway. She'd done so when she was with him at the bar and when she had gone out with the All Stars; what was so different about this time?

"Alright," He commenced to remind her of the situation at hand, "Now we find Tyson,"

The world champ and Hilary weren't very hard to track down; they were standing at the counter of another bar located a short distance away. Upon approach, Dylan had taken over immediately; completely ignoring Hilary's presence, the blonde fiddled with Tyson's shirt collar, "You look good,"

"How good?"

"Almost as good as this," She nodded her head towards her drink, "I'm just trying to imagine if you _taste_ almost as good as my Cosmo too,"

Chuckling, Tyson leaned his back against the counter, "Why don't you find out?"

"Excuse me!" Hilary seemed to finally snap, "If you don't mind, I was with him,"

Dylan raised a brow at the brunette before eyeing Tyson, "I had no idea you two were committed, I am like _so_ sorry,"

"No, no, no," Tyson shook his head, "Hilary's just my friend. We're not together. In fact," He paused and looked over at Kai, "Hey, why don't you show Hilary around the club or something?"

Furrowing her brows, Hilary placed a hand on her hip, "Why can't _you_ show me around the club, Tyson?"

"Because," The blonde rolled her eyes, "He's going to show _me_ around," In a flirty move, she removed his baseball hat and placed it over her head, "And I'm going to show him _around_ too,"

Kai watched Tyson's eyes widen at the subliminal declaration before he gave Hilary and him a wave, grabbing Dylan by her hand and taking off in a random direction.

"I can't believe he would blow me off like that!" Hilary shrieked to which the Blitzkrieg Boy looked down at the brunette.

"Hn,"

"Can you help me find Julia?" She requested, "Actually never mind, she's with Tala. Can we just sit down somewhere, Kai?"

"This way," The bluenette directed, leading the way to some seats.

"So what have you been up to, Kai?"

"Nothing,"

"I see. Did you see any movies recently?"

"No,"

"Oh. Reading any good books?"

"I'm not into novels,"

"What! Are you serious? I just finished a really good one called _Secret Daughter_. You know what, I'm going to let you borrow it and then you'll change your mind about novels."

**x x x**

Bryan waited next to the silver BMW and the black Supra in the club's parking lot. It was a couple of minutes after 3 AM and with the club closing down, everyone began piling out of the building. Among the mass he managed to spot Kai, unlocking his car with the tiny remote attached to his keychain.

"Where are the others?" Bryan enquired.

"Ask your mother,"

The lilac haired blader rolled his eyes and continued to lookout for signs of his teammate. At last, he found Ian and Spencer...with two girls.

"For the love of..." Bryan muttered, shaking his head, "They can't come with us! We have training in the morning!"

Ian laughed, "I have training _tonight_,"

Not long after Dylan had appeared as did Tala and Julia, the both of them in that euphoric stage and getting touchy-touchy. Nonetheless, it was evident that they had other plans, "I'm spending the night at Julia's!" The redhead declared as Julia began dragging him towards Ray, Tyson, Hilary, and Max where they were waiting for a taxi to take them back to their hotel, "See you fuckers tomorrow!"

"No," Kai imposed, "We have places to be in the morning,"

"Suck my dick, Kai, I'm going,"

"Yeah!" Julia nodded, "He's coming with me!"

"He's not," The bluenette forcefully pulled his team captain away from the Spanish blader at which point Ian stepped in.

"What's your problem, man? Just let him go,"

At the same time, Dylan intruded, "That's not happening,"

"Why!" Julia yelled.

"Because you're a fat whore, that's why,"

Sensing a catfight, immediately Bryan situated himself between the two girls, "Alright, alright, we'll figure this out later, right now let's just go home,"

"Yeah you guys go home or whatever," The captain of the Blitzkrieg Boys waved off, "I'm going with Julia,"

Losing patience, Kai shoved Tala a couple of feet back. It wasn't an entirely hostile act, it was more of a means of getting privacy from everyone else, "If you skip training tomorrow, I'll be skipping training every weekend. We'll see how far that takes the team in the tournament,"

"You can't miss training. I'm team captain, Kai, I make the fucking rules,"

"You being captain means shit to me," With one last push, the bluenette let go of the redhead, "And nobody makes rules for me,"

Giving in, Tala walked back to the group fetching his keys out of his pockets only to have it snatched away at once, "Between me and you," Dylan butt in, "I clearly have a lower BAC, so I'll be driving,"

"Not my car,"

"Stop your mouth from moving," Kai seemed to be annoyed as he yanked the redhead by the back of his shirt and shoved him into the backseat of the Supra before turning to Julia, "Due to limited space in our cars and our home, you should probably go back with Hilary,"

Julia rolled her eyes, "Fine. But can you tell Tala to call me in the morning,"

"K," And with that, everyone headed home. With the BMW in lead, Dylan followed closely and any confusion about routes was diffused by Bryan. Upon arrival, Spencer and Ian had run up to their rooms with their playthings while a slightly gloomy Tala headed to his room, and after changing into her PJs, Dylan crawled into her bed and pulled up the blankets.

Turning to her side, the blonde closed her eyes, ready for some sleep when a disturbing scream supplemented by Spencer's name was heard.

And other noises.

The blonde sat up in bed with furrowed brows, "What the fuck?"

Tala seemed indifferent, "Get used to it, Dill Pickle,"

"Get used to people fucking in the next room?"

"Yup. Happens every other weekend. Bet they're having an orgy,"

"Bet you wish you could be part of it," She hopped out of bed, "I'm gonna go watch TV until they're _done_," Journeying downstairs, she found that the television was already in use by Kai, the current channel airing some Bruce Lee movie. As she sat next to him, a subtle frown was visible on his face. Freaky things were happening upstairs and now he couldn't even have some time to himself? Much to his displeasure, her head fell into his lap while she lay down on the rest of the sofa, the tip of her thumbnail absentmindedly in her mouth as she watched what he watched on TV.

"Get off me,"

"I can _get_ you off," She raised both her brows in hint, "And since _some_ people in this house are having fun, I say you and I have some fun too,"

With his eyes closed, Kai folded his arms over his chest and smirked, "You wouldn't be able to handle that,"

"_Really..._"

"Hn,"

"Well you know what they say, Kai: blondes have more fun,"

"And brunettes have more brains," And there was nothing comparable to a smart bitch now, was there?

"So you're more into a Jackie, not a Marilyn,"

"I was never a fan of the latter,"

She chuckled, "We'll see about that, Mr. Engineer," A twirled piece of hair rested in between her lips, "So what have you decided about school?"

"That's none of your concern,"

"Personally Kai, I think you should be a doctor," She winked, "Then you and me can play doctor in real life,"

"Right..."

"So did you and Hilary do anything _eventful_ tonight?"

"We had a conversation,"

"About fucking?" And as he sighed in response, she took it as a 'no' and proceeded onto the next enquiry, "Did you buy her a drink?"

"She didn't ask for one,"

"I didn't ask you for one either,"

"That was different,"

"Did you kiss her?"

"No,"

"Did you even dance with her?"

"I wasn't aware we were playing 21 Questions," He looked over at her, "But if that's the case, it's my turn: what did you and Tyson do?"

"All I'm gonna say is Tyson is a dirty, dirty, _dirty_ boy. Anyways, whip or chains?" As he raised a brow, she smirked, "I thought we were playing 21 Questions,"

"Hn,"

"Tell me,"

"Technically," Started Kai, "it's still my turn considering you've asked me more than one question already. So," He turned his head to her, "Whip or chains?"

"That's _my_ question,"

"Tough luck,"

"Fine," She gave in, "Chains,"

"Spit or swallow?"

A surprised laugh escaped Dylan's lips, "Wow Kai, I change my mind; Tyson has nothing on you in the dirty department,"

"You haven't answered the question,"

"Well if it's _your_ brand, maybe I'd go the extra mile,"

The response didn't seem to faze him as he only moved on to his next enquiry, "Top or bottom?"

"Where would you prefer me, Kai?"

"Influencing one's answer is not part of the game,"

Dylan flaunted a devilish smile, "I already know you'd enjoy it more if I was on top,"

"Well," He switched off the TV and pushed her off of him, "Thanks for the game,"

"What about my turn?"

"I have training in the morning and need to go to bed,"

"Can _Mary-Jane_ join you? I'm sure _Spider-Man_ can 'put her to sleep' faster,"

"Hn," Kai looked over his shoulder, "Maybe when _Venom_," He nodded his head over to Tala's room, "isn't home."

* * *

**Ex sex. **I plead _very_ guilty. More than once. Yeah...I don't know where we stand now :S

**PLEASE REVIEW! IF YOU'RE READING THIS, REVIEW!**

**Crying Sorceress – **I stayed and watched the whole thing! And then tried to find it on YouTube! LOL!

**Runswithpaws – **Did you recently breakup with someone?

**SouthernDragon **

**Desastrus – **Well Singapore is a dominantly Muslim country (isn't it?) that's why I asked lol. And...I'm one too. Clearly, not a good one! Are you fasting? Good luck on your tests! And about the lady I saw, well, that's Toronto for you lmao. And stuff always happens at Younge and Dundas.

**Darial Kuznetsova **

**CryMeOut – **You can rant all you want! LOL! I like hearing stuff on reviews! It lets you relate more. I guess that's why I put snippets of my daily life after my chapters too lol.

**Sasukechica – **You're right, I'm not going to answer anything! :P But man, what I would do to go to the Caribbean! My friends have gone there for vacays but I'm broke as hell lol.

**The Master of the Hobos – **I am...not going to make a comment about your guess...LOL!

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**ISLAM.** For the last chapter I received a 'flame' and I put that in quotations b/c it's not really a flame for the story but for me _personally_. If anyone wants to read that review, you can, and to that reviewer, I'd just like to say I fuck, I drink, I go clubbing, I wear miniskirts and tank tops, and I don't even know how to do namaz (pray), so if you're all 'oh my God' by the material in this story, you'd probably run the hell away from me if you met me in real life lol. And yes, I do have a dirty mind lol I'm very perverted and kinky – tell me something I _don't_ know.

For the others that are wondering, yes, I am Muslim. I hope that before this declaration everyone thought I was 'normal' lol. I almost never publicize my faith mainly b/c a vast amount of idiots of the same faith have dirtied Islam beyond repair in my opinion.

Obviously this is a site where people write stories, not bring in politics, and I also don't want to get into 'trouble' and therefore, I'm not going to say much. However, I do want to give people a snippet of what me and my family are like: my mom does not wear a scarf over her head, she wears jeans and tees, yes she does pray (about 4 times a day), my dad drinks (Heineken FTW), he does read informational books on Islam to gain more (correct) knowledge, my parents openly talk to me and my brother about boyfriends/girlfriends and sex, my bro is 16 and is dating someone right now and we all know about and are perfectly fine with it, I bring guy friends over to my house, my bro brings female friends over, we don't eat pork, my parents let me go clubbing and stay out late and know I drink, we don't eat halal meat, etc.

For ANYONE (and when I say anyone, I mean ANYONE, doesn't matter what your faith or skin colour is) has ever been or felt 'harassed' or 'bothered' (for lack of better words, sorry) by CERTAIN PEOPLE (and when I say certain people, lol, I mean CERTAIN PEOPLE), well let me tell you, we feel your pain. I'm harassed by my own kind (and FYI, my kind has MANY, MANY, MANY uneducated and misinformed fools and very little knowledgeable persons, hence our status in society today) just as much as the next human being out there.

Anyways, I hope this ridiculously long note clears some stuff up.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

The morning after was a slight mess. Nobody suffered from hangovers, just fatigue, and Ian and Spencer's one night stands were sent home. Nonetheless, training was still a go. With a bowl of milk and Cheerio's, Tala dumped himself on one of the couches and flipped over to the news channel. It was when he felt some of the milk from his bowl splash onto his face he looked down to find another spoon. Making a face, he looked over to his side and watched Dylan spoon out some cereal from his bowl and have it for herself, "Okay, what the fuck?" Instead of saying anything, she only shrugged her shoulders and when she reached for more, he moved away, "Stop, man! This is fucking disgusting!"

"This is how we always eat,"

"Yeah! When we were fucking 10 and 7!" Tala wrinkled his nose before bringing his bowl towards the middle, "Don't spill any..."

"If you were 10, how can I be 7? Do you even know when my birthday is, hun?"

"Obviously: sometime in the next 365 days," And when his sister gave him a pathetic look, the redhead responded with a challenge, "Do you know when _my_ birthday is?"

"February,"

"Of?"

"25th," Dylan rolled her eyes and continued with her – _his_ – cereal and watched the boringness that was the news.

"September 12th," Came the sudden date from Tala, "Your birthday,"

The blonde raised a brow, "What about mom's?"

"November something,"

"How can you _not_ know mom's birthday?"

"It's either the 17th, 18th, or 19th. And I know dad's is in the first week of April,"

"You're a disgrace,"

"You're a bitch,"

"Whatevs," Dylan shrugged off, "Anyways, I was wondering,"

"What?"

"Is Mariah your ex?"

"No,"

"Have you guys ever dated?"

"Not really; why?"

"Then why is she off limits to Spencer?"

"Because she is,"

"Hun, you and I both know if they're not an ex and if you've never gone out with them, they can't be off limits. So I know there's another reason,"

Slurping the leftover milk out of the bowl and placing it on the table, Tala leaned into the couch, "And that reason is none of your fucking business,"

"Well the last thing I can think of is you and Mariah being fuck buddies,"

"K..." The redhead looked disturbed for obvious reasons, "That's _definitely_ something you aren't supposed to ask me, _ever_,"

"Like I said: I can't think of anything else. Funny, she didn't seem the friends-with-benefits type,"

"We weren't friends with benefits. And you're right; she's not like that,"

"Then?"

"Mariah is just a friend, nothing more and nothing less,"

Dylan nodded in concurrence, "So she shouldn't be off limits to Spencer. And didn't you see the way she was looking at him when she came over? It's so obvious she likes your _friend_,"

"She wasn't looking at him in any _way_. Stop trying to make something out of nothing. Now go get ready; we're going to leave soon,"

Leaving soon wasn't a big deal. It was getting to the training center that was the issue. Dressed in grey sweats, a fitted black military style jacket that was left unzipped leaving a blue hoodie to peek through, Kai grimaced at the driveway with a shovel in hand. A navy winter hat with white geometric patterns and two fuzzy spheres down each side sat relatively slouched on his head and had most of his slate bangs peeping out as he made his way towards the BMW and Supra, the both of them blanketed in snow.

The night before, Moscow was hit with a snowstorm, receiving possibly a feet of snow in the process. Looking around the neighbourhood, the scene was similar for almost every household: cars stuck in driveways, the sound of tires spinning, people shovelling their properties, kids playing with snow, and snow plows sanding and salting the roads.

With the keys of both vehicles in his possession, Kai started up the two cars for them to warm up before getting to work with the heinous amount of snow. After the removal of the white layer, the rest of the team had made their way out of the house. Astonishment was expressed by the Blitzkrieg Boys when the team captain tossed the blonde his car keys.

Dylan raised a brow, "You're letting me drive?"

"No, just get it out of the driveway,"

Giving him a strange look, she got into the driver's seat as he got into the seat beside her. Putting the key into the ignition, she strained her neck to look out the back window before bringing her hand down to the shifter, "Why can't I drive?"

"Well let's see if you can even get this thing on the roads,"

"Um hello? I learned to drive when I was 11,"

"Cool," Tala nodded.

Dylan rolled her eyes and began reversing...only to have the car move faster than she intended it to move. Removing her foot off the accelerator seemed to have no effect as the Supra moved on its own. Making a face, she hit the brakes but her eyes widened in alarm as the car practically continued to skid, "What the fuck!" A panicked expression replaced her features as she spotted a red van speeding down the road.

"Stop braking, moron. Downshift the fucking thing," The redhead finally threw a much needed instruction. He looked over his shoulder to check the distance between the red van on its way before leaning over and honking the horn while the blonde did as she was told, eventually slowing down the car and bringing it to a stop. Before she could make some sort of comment, he beat her do it: "Learned how to drive when you were 11, my ass,"

As he got out of the vehicle, she did too, "Dad taught us together and you were 13 at the time and that means I was 11,"

"You sucked back then," Tala snatched the keys out of her hands, "And you still suck now. In fact, you suck at everything: the swear game, the licence plate game, and you always cried first,"

With hands on her hips, the blonde smirked, "I did that so you get in trouble and it worked _every_ time, hun,"

The redhead smiled and patted his younger sibling on the head, "Stop trying to defend yourself. You still suck at driving, Dill Pickle, but don't worry because _all_ women are bad drivers,"

Nearing the two, Bryan rolled his eyes at his team captain, "What are you? Five?" Sighing, he looked down at Dylan, "I'm assuming you've never drove a car in snow before,"

"_Obvs_ not," She bent down and scooped up some snow, "This is like the stuff they put in my frappuccino at Starbucks," Fascination vanishing, she dropped the snow and dusted her mitten clad hands, "But that scared my next month's period out of me."

And so began the horrid, painfully slow, and traffic-jammed journey to the recreation center. While the boys headed to their training room, Dylan headed to another room where she grouped with the cheerleading team. Throwing her jacket off to the pile where all the other girls had tossed their jacket, she raised a hand to get everyone's attention. Immediately everyone got into a line. Eyeing the girls, the blonde quickly nodded in approval at their appearance, "So since Tala and his gay team come here for practice every weekend at this time, _we_ will come here every weekend for practice at this time too,"

A couple of gasps were heard before one girl decided to speak up, "You mean Tala from the Blitzkrieg Boys?"

"Yes, that homo," Dylan confirmed, "He's my brother,"

"Oh my God!" Another girl squealed, "That's your brother? You're so lucky! He's _so_ fucking hot!"

"Does that mean Kai is also training here? Can we go look at him? Oh my God, can we take pics?"

As an entire pandemonium began over the two males in question, Dylan only wrinkled her nose before motioning for everyone to shut up, "Okay, no," She shook her head in disagreement, "Red Red Tomato Head is _completely_ and _strictly_ off limits to all of you,"

"But isn't he single?"

"He's single, uncommitted, available, unattached, open for business and hiring," The blonde concurred, "But I'm his manager and I'm sorry to say that none of you are qualified for the position. So all you bitches need to forget about Tala and keep your legs closed," Upsetting murmurs were heard among the cheerleaders while the captain decided to add in another warning, "And FYI, finders keepers and I found Kai first,"

Ming-Ming's eyes widened, "You're dating Kai?"

"Not yet," Dylan smirked, "For now he's just reserved under my name. But Bryan, Ian, and Spencer are still up for grabs on a first come first serve basis."

**x x x**

Screwing the cap back onto the water bottle, Tala looked over at the time displayed on his Blackberry, "Time to GTFO," He informed, being the first one to leave the training room. Three hours had elapsed and their practice was over; now they were ready to head home and stuff themselves with a meaty lunch. He led the Blitzkrieg Boys out of the recreation center and to the parking lot where Dylan was already waiting for them.

As Kai and half the team got into the BMW, the redhead motioned for his sister towards the driver side for the Supra, "Why?" Came her understandable enquiry with a wrinkled nose.

Tala gave the blonde a pathetic look, "You're pussying out?"

"She may not be," Ian rushed out of the Toyota, "But I am," With that, he took shelter in Kai's car, leaving the siblings to occupy the team captain's car.

The redhead only shrugged before eyeing the younger Ivanov, "What the fuck are you waiting for, crackhead?" And as he got into the passenger seat, he watched the blonde get into the driver's seat, "Belt, idiot," He reminded as he put on his own.

"I'm gonna drive on the _roads_?"

"Relax, _virgin_," Tala rolled his eyes, "Drive slow and follow Kai's car,"

Seeing the silver car pull out from the parking space beside her, Dylan changed gears and began backing out of the parking spot at a snail's pace. She wasn't completely familiar with this snow thing-a-ma-jig but it seemed pretty dangerous! Driving was second nature to her and of course she didn't always care about legality in California and she'd grown up around vehicles of all sorts, but she wasn't accustomed to this sort of climate.

Successful, she tailed the Beamer onto the roads. Going slow wasn't very hard to do – everyone was driving slowly and the streets were jam packed. But that didn't mean crazy drivers didn't exist. Cutting the Supra off from a hazardously close distance was another car and the blonde braked immediately to avoid collision. Holding onto the dashboard in reflex, the redhead creased his brows at the car ahead, "What the fuck, man?"

Rolling down the window with one hand and steering the wheel with the other, Dylan pulled up to the next lane, situating the Supra beside the other car, giving the middle-aged male driver a dirty look, "Learn to fucking drive, motherfucker!"

"Yo! Faggot!" And there was no surprise when big bro Tala wanted to give the idiot a piece of his mind as well. Leaning closer to his sister, he proceeded to yell out of the window from her side, "Suck it!" Bringing the popular 90s fad back with the signature hand motion and all, he tapped his sister on the shoulder, signalling her to speed off and catch up to the BMW.

At last they were in their neighbourhood and though Kai had made it look like a piece of cake moving his car into the slightly inclined and snow covered driveway, it took Dylan more than just a couple of tries.

"Come on, man," Tala sighed. He'd been stuck in the car for a good fifteen minutes already and he was sure the rest of his teammates were probably enjoying their lunch by now. Fed up with her failed attempts, he decided to provide some guidelines, "Just speed up, don't be scared,"

"I'm not scared,"

"Bullshit,"

Making a noise of frustration, the blonde decided to go with her brother's direction. She pressed down on the gas pedal more than she had before and sure enough it was working. Except she'd used more speed than she thought she needed as the front of the Supra rammed into the parked BMW's bumper.

"Fuck," Tala immediately scurried outside to check the silver car. Spotting a very minor dent on his friend's car, he cringed, "Look what you did, dumb ass!"

"_You_ told me to do it, stupid!"

"To hit his fucking car?" The redhead looked over his shoulder at the house and then back at the car. Finally, he bent down and picked up some snow and piled it over the dent. Content with the makeshift cover up, he placed his hands on Dylan's shoulder and pushed her towards the house, "Walk away."

And thus, a pact was made.

The remainder of the day went by quickly and before they knew it, the sun had gone down and it was nearly time for dinner. Lazed on the couch, Kai flipped the channels before stopping on the show _Cops_. The peaceful state was disturbed when Dylan grabbed a seat next to him. Though he fully ignored her, he couldn't help but wonder why she was dressed up in a strapless mini dress, gunmetal grey all over, black at the hems, including a super skinny black belt around the waist with black peep toe pumps as her choice for footwear. As usual, her face carried that mostly natural look with a bit of winged liner with mascara that accentuated her eyes and a hint of pink lip gloss finished everything off; her makeup was never dramatic.

As silence lingered, she gave him a long onceover flirtatiously before passing him his jacket and car keys, "Let's go out, hun,"

Yeah, _okay_. Disregarding the blonde, Kai brought his attention back to the TV and turned up the volume, slumping further into his seat in comfort.

"This is all part of getting you and Hilary together, sweetheart. She's going to expect you to take her out and dates are very important because that's where we judge you on everything. So far I've tested your kissing skills and now it's time to evaluate your dating skills,"

"She can judge me all she wants, not my problem,"

"So you're basically handing Hilary over to Tyson Granger on a silver platter?" She paused, "Actually, if you really think about it _you're_ the silver platter and he's the golden one because gold means first place and he _is_ the world champ,"

"Hn,"

"In fact, if he's the world champ he _must_ be good in bed. I bet that's why Hilary likes him, because she _knows_ about his package,"

"His package?"

Dylan smirked, "Let's just say Tyson is very decently sized down below and I'm pretty sure he knows how to use it too,"

"K,"

"And if you really think about it, Hilary is being smart; I mean why got for second best when she can go for _the_ best?

Kai gave Dylan a pathetic look; what was she trying to imply – that _he_ was runner up? No, no, no, no, no. Hilary wasn't being smart, she was being stupid; why go for obnoxious, loud-mouthed Tyson when she could go for _him_? Besides, all Tyson and Hilary ever did was fight and argue and never see eye to eye...wouldn't Kai make a _way_ better 'partner'?

When he switched off the television, she'd taken it as him conforming to her idea; with the tip of her pinky in her mouth, she smiled sheepishly, "You look cute in sweats,"

Essentially what that had translated into was that he looked fine and changing into something else wasn't entirely necessary. And to men, clothes were clothes – and yes, that included a towel around the waist – and if a guy didn't need to change, he sure as hell wasn't gonna.

Putting on his jacket, he followed her out of the house and into the BMW. It wasn't until he was on the roads that she spoke up, "So where are we going?"

"Don't know," He replied as he merged onto another lane, "And don't care,"

"Okay," She didn't seem to have much of an issue with his lack of interest, "Take me to your favourite place,"

He didn't necessarily have a favourite place but he did know a couple of places with a good menu. Whether she'd enjoy it or not was none of his concern, really. Pulling into the parking lot, the two exited the vehicle and headed into the restaurant, one that had more of a bar and lounge feel with a darker atmosphere and a couple of TV's and loud music.

After being seated at a table for two, Dylan picked up the menu only to have the same dilemma as the last time; nothing was written in English. Before she could ask him for help or ask for a translated version, a waiter had come by and the phoenix had already began reciting an order. After the exchange in the unfamiliar language was complete, the waiter made a grab for both the menus and left the table, resulting in an utterly dumbfounded expression plastered on Dylan's face, "He didn't take my order,"

"Hn,"

The blonde opened her mouth to make a comment but was interrupted when the waiter had come back, placing an opened beer bottle in front of the bluenette and an all too familiar triangular shaped glass towards her with a pale yellow liquid, decorated with a cinnamon stick dipped inside.

Thanking the waiter as he left, Dylan pulled the Appletini close, "Good choice, Kai. You know me well," She took a sip, "So," Leaning closer to the table, she grinned, "Other than looking really good, what else do you do?"

"Nothing,"

"Tell me about beyblading,"

"I beyblade,"

"Why do you beyblade?"

"It's something I enjoy doing and have been doing for a long time,"

Dylan nodded, pausing as the server returned with a bowl of pasta that her 'date' had ordered for her, and burger and fries for himself. Smiling in appreciation, the blonde picked up the spoon and tossed the penne slightly, "You know, we never finished our game of 21 Questions,"

Taking a bite out of his burger, Kai looked at her indifferently, "How much wood would your woodchuck chuck?"

Putting the bite she was about to take from her pasta on hold, Dylan expressed amusement in a candid laugh, "Dir-_ty_! And FYI, it was supposed to be my turn,"

"You've had your turn already with your previous enquires,"

"You're really sneaky. But in a sweet way. As for your question, why don't _you_ find out how much _wood_ my _woodchuck_ chucks?"

"Not interested,"

"Well when you are, it'll be available for you. And now it's my turn: how often do you jerk off?"

"As often as you pleasure yourself,"

"That's not really answering the question,"

"You didn't really answer mine,"

The blonde chuckled in agreement and sustained the game for a few more questions. After dinner was over, their bill was dropped to their table. "I'll pay half," She suggested, slapping thirty onto the table. Merely nodding, Kai put the same amount onto the table before leading the way out of the restaurant, "You did good on your date, hun," She begun as he drove out of the property.

"I don't really care one way or another,"

"Well regardless, Hilary's going to be impressed," And it wasn't until the drive came to an end and he had pulled into their driveway she brought up something else, "Um hello? Where's my kiss?" But when he only raised a brow, she rolled her eyes, "When you drop Hilary off after your date, you're gonna have to kiss her,"

"You're right," Kai moved alarmingly close, so close in fact that he could smell the strawberry flavoured lip gloss off her lips, "But," He smirked suddenly, "I don't kiss on first dates."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay!** It was my birthday (I'm 22! GASP), I was looking for a job (I found one!), I met up with my ex a million times since the last time I updated (in fact, he might not be an ex anymore...?) and all this stuff.

**REVIEW!**

**Crying Sorceress – **What in the world in angry sex? And Sex With My Ex is my song! LMAO! And I don't believe in friends with benefits, I think we might be getting back together, I'm not entirely sure lol.

**Anon **

**Runswithpaws – **Kick that motherfucking cheater in the ass. I'll come help you!

**The Master of the Hobos**

**CryMeOut**

**Just a girl**

**Sasukechica**

**Desastrus – **Eid for us is pretty much the same! Lol. I have a Bengali background so we basically eat, like, Indian food lol.

**SouthernDragon**

**Xxz0eyxx – **LMAO! I could not stop laughing after reading your review, the part with you and your bro's friend haha. And yes, everyone does need sex...LOL! Wow, I'm bad.

**The last song**

**Lostandfound**

**AriOnE**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

With one brow slightly raised in amusement and curiosity, Miriam continued to conceal most of herself from view by slouching down a little and holding the restaurant's menu over her face. Throwing some money onto the table, Dylan and Kai left the restaurant and Miriam strained her neck to get a better look out the window as the two got into a silver BMW M3 and took off.

After paying for her own bill, the navy haired nineteen year old taxied it back to her hotel. It was while she was waiting for the elevator that she bumped into a familiar brunette, ex Bladebreaker Kenny, "Hey," Miriam greeted with a smile.

"What's up, Miriam?" The shorter boy acknowledged, "Were you out?"

She nodded, "Just went out for dinner, that's all. Hey, do you still talk to Kai?"

"Of course," Kenny adjusted his glasses, "All of us are in constant contact, contrary to popular belief. In fact, we all had lunch together a couple of days ago,"

"So clearly you know him quiet well,"

"You could say that; why?"

"Tell me this: how many girls have been in Kai's life?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know anything about that..."

Miriam chuckled, "I know guys are forbidden to speak about their friend's love life, but I'm not really asking about his love life, so I think you can spare me some info,"

"Well," Kenny started, "Kai doesn't exactly have a love life. He's not a relationship kind of guy. Though I hear from sources that he has quite the _making_ love life, if you catch my drift,"

"So what's the probability that he would take someone out on say, a date?"

"Not very likely," The boy slowly turned his head towards Miriam, "Are you...interested in him?"

"Nope, he's not my type,"

"Then? I know it can't be Julia or Hilary and if it's not you either then it has to be Mariah, Emily, Salima or Mathilda,"

As the lift arrived, Miriam only smiled and got inside, "So have you met Tala's sister?"

"I have. Tyson's been fooling around with her for a while,"

"I've heard,"

"From Hilary, I assume?"

"You bet,"

"I don't know how Tyson can't see that Hilary likes him, I mean _everybody_ knows," Kenny sighed, "But he always talks about Dylan right in front of Hilary; he's so dense,"

"Actually, I think everyone underestimates Tyson. We all know Kai and Tala are two of the most intelligent and experienced people in the entire BBA and if a guy like Tyson can beat them _both _and keep his title of world champion for all these years, that says a lot about him. Tyson's a very clever guy; I think he's a lot smarter than he lets on,"

"You think so?"

Before the conversation could go any further, she had come to her floor, "I _know_ so," Miriam beamed, "Anyways, I'll see you around, Kenny. Goodnight."

**x x x**

Sunday had finally made landfall in Russia and for the Blitzkrieg Boys, it was just another boring and ordinary day. With the addition of Dylan they all sat around the kitchen table and dug into their lunch.

"I'm going to need everyone's beyblade," Ian begun, "for a tune up,"

"And a cleanup," The team captain added, "There's grease coming out of my beyblade,"

"It's just the motor oil that's been put in..."

"Well I don't want shit leaking from my beyblade especially during a battle," Tala reasoned, "I'll use it for now but we'll just have to think of another solution,"

With an elbow on the table and his chin resting in the palm of his hands, Ian nodded, "Yeah..."

"Anyways," Dylan popped in, her gaze falling onto her sibling, "Can you give me a ride to Mattie's?"

The redhead gave the blonde a pathetic look, "Uh, no?"

"I told her I would be there after lunch,"

Tala appeared unfazed, "Why?"

"Because we're friends,"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" He snickered, "I don't know Mathilda personally but I do know _of _her and know that she'd never be friends with you. In fact, I'm 100 percent sure you're taking advantage of her for your selfish reasons,"

"Hun, you're my alarm clock, you're my chauffer, you're my bank, and you're my waiter," She motioned her brows towards her plate of food, "I've already employed you as my bitch and you're an amazing worker; I don't need another personal assistant. Anyways, if you could take a couple of minutes out of your uneventful lifeless life and give me a ride to Mattie's, that would be great, thanks,"

"Sure," Surprisingly Tala complied, "After you clean my room,"

"That's not happening, sweetheart,"

"Actually, _sweetheart_,it is. We made a deal: you clean my room or," The redhead picked up his phone, "I make a call to mom and dad and tell them what you've really been up to."

Tala: 1.

She-Satan: Pwned.

And so following the end of lunch, Dylan followed the big bro upstairs. Handing over the vacuum, _Lysol _wipes, Windex and paper towels, Tala smirked, "Get working, Dill Pickle. And don't forget to make my bed,"

"Um hello? It's already made," The blonde creased her brows in confusion and watched the redhead make his way over to his bed and begin pulling on the sheets and covers and pillows, dumping them on the floor.

"Not anymore,"

Plugging the vacuum in, Dylan grimaced. What did Tala think she was – a cleaning lady? It was so obvious he was just being a really big jerk on purpose. Her parents never made her so such hard labour back home. Come to think of it, she still didn't understand her parents' logic behind sending her to Russia: did they really think she was going to learn anything by seeing snow and putting her plate in the sink after every meal and trying to hold a conversation with people who spoke very little English or by eating 'blood' and 'pellets' for dinner? Did they seriously think this would make her responsible, independent, and mature?

How ridiculous.

After doing a bad job of the first task she went onto wipe down the dust from all the furniture in the room. Approaching the douche bag's bedside table, she wiped the surface before pulling the drawer open. Disposing of the empty chip bags, she commenced to rearrange the contents inside. There wasn't much inside except his beyblade, launcher, cell phone charger, random loose change, some papers, and other junk. Tugging the papers out, she noticed a large tan coloured envelope tucked beneath everything. Taking it out, she examined it and turned it around only to have several smaller envelopes fall out onto the ground, all of them open with the letters still in them.

They all had small emblems and symbols on the top left hand corner...ones that she'd recognized right away.

**x x x**

Staring at the ceiling, Mathilda lay in her bed sliding her phone open and close absentmindedly. Just a few minutes ago she received a call from Dylan informing her that she was coming over.

And it scared Mathilda.

"If you didn't want her coming, why did you say she could?" Miguel seemed to have sensed his teammate's worry.

"I don't know..." The pinkette shrugged her shoulders.

"You know she's using you, right?"

She rolled over and faced her blonde team captain sitting on another bed, "I know,"

Miguel gave his teammate a pathetic look, a hint of anger visible, "What are you trying to tell me? You like being used? If that's the case, there's something seriously wrong with you,"

Slightly agitated, Mathilda rolled her eyes, "You wouldn't understand,"

"What's there not to understand? The stupid bitch -"

"Be quiet! Don't say that!"

And when a knock was heard, the two beybladers quieted down immediately. Mathilda hopped off her bed and opened the door to find Dylan.

"Aren't you gonna invite me in, loser?"

"Oh, sorry. Um, come in," Mathilda moved out of the way and pulled the door open wider letting the taller girl walk inside. She watched as Miguel and Dylan acknowledged each others' presence: her giving him a quick wave, him nodding his head. "So uh," The pink haired girl made her way over to her bed where the younger Ivanov had already seated herself, "What's up?"

"Just bored," Came her response to her before she turned towards Miguel, "Do you have to be in here?" Dylan begun, her finger pointing back and forth towards herself and Mathilda, "Girl talk," Miguel exhaled out loudly and exited the hotel room, leaving his teammate alone with the bitch, "_Any_ways," The blonde rolled her eyes and proceeded to lie down next to Mathilda.

"Yeah, anyways..."

"So I have to show you something,"

"Okay," Nodded Mathilda and watched the blonde pull what appeared to be a couple of envelopes from her purse. Reaching for one, the pinkette read who it was addressed to, "These are Tala's,"

"Look where it's from,"

Eyeing the corner, Mathilda read out loud, "UCLA?" What the point of all this was, was beyond Mathilda. Was Dylan trying to plot something against her brother this time? Did this involve Julia again? With the letter already open, she took it out and unfolded it, "Dear Mr. Tala Ivanov, congratulations, it is our great pleasure to offer you admission to UCLA,"

"Now read this," The blonde pushed forward another letter.

"Dear Mr. Tala Ivanov, you have declined our offer of admission to UCLA. We would appreciate if you would take the time to complete the survey enclosed regarding your decision for statistical purposes for the university,"

"He got in everywhere," The blonde grabbed each envelope and read aloud the names, "Berkeley, MIT, USC, Harvard, and NYU,"

"Well I don't know Tala that well but I know he's really, really, really smart,"

Piling all the letters up, she shoved them back into her purse, "But he got accepted everywhere,"

"So?"

"So he didn't tell my parents. We didn't know he applied to university. _I_ didn't even know he wanted to go. I mean he told me he likes Russia and then he applies to USC, UCLA, and Berkeley? What the fuck?"

"Maybe he changed his mind?"

"For _all_ of them? And who rejects Harvard and MIT?"

Mathilda raised a brow, "Why do you care?"

"Okay, _obviously_ I don't care. I just thought it was weird. But don't tell anyone because not even his friends know about this,"

"How do you know that?"

"Because Kai is planning to go to school too and he told me he didn't think anyone from his team is going," Abruptly Dylan paused, "You can't tell anyone about Kai either because I wasn't supposed to tell anyone,"

If that was the case then why was she telling her? They didn't know each other that well and they weren't even friends. For that matter, what the hell were they? Though Mathilda had a hard time putting two and two together, she agreed, "I won't tell, I promise,"

"Oh," The blonde continued, "And I went out with him last night,"

The smaller girl couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief, "No you didn't,"

Dylan nodded with a grin, "I did. Come on," She slid off the mattress, "I'll tell you about it over ice cream or whatevs," Unfortunately an ice cream parlour wasn't that easy to find and so the two settled for hot chocolate at a nearby coffee shop, and it was when the Californian searched through her wallet that Mathilda noticed her wrinkle-faced expression.

"I'll pay," The athlete proposed quickly.

"No," The blonde shook her head and drew out cash, "I have money," She had _more_ than enough money; the thirty bucks that she had used to pay for half the dinner last night was back in there including an extra ten that shouldn't have been in her wallet at all.

**x x x**

Upon hearing his bedroom door click open without warning, Kai immediately closed his laptop. And for good reason. Looking towards the entrance, he found Dylan and judging from her unbuttoned winter coat and a very loosely looped pink scarf around her neck, she had just gotten home. As he frowned at her presence, she gave him that signature flirty grin with the slightly squinty eyes before grabbing a seat on his bed.

"So," She begun, "Something really weird happened. I found this," She waved around some money before smirking, "You wouldn't happen to have _any _idea where it came from, would you?"

"Wouldn't have a clue," Came the nonchalant reply as he picked up a _Scientific American_ magazine and flipped through.

"I think you do, hun," The blonde made herself more comfortable as she put her feet up and took off her jacket, "I pitched in thirty last night and you gave me forty. What's the extra ten for, Tiger?"

Without taking his eyes off the paper, he provided her with an answer, "Your tip,"

Dylan raised a brow, "Why are you tipping me?"

"Hn," Tossing the magazine aside, the bluenette got up and left the room marking the end of the conversation and leaving the enquiry unanswered. On his way to the kitchen he hear thumping on the front door and with Spencer lazily slouched on the couch muttering a 'you get it', Kai had little choice but to answer the door. Unlocking the latch, he pulled on the knob only to be surprised by the sight Hilary at his doorstep.

* * *

**Sorry x 100!** I got a full time job 2 weeks ago and just quit this week b/c the 37 year old manager wanted to fuck me in the back closet. Then my boyfriend/ex boyfriend (still don't know what he is!) and I have been seeing each other a lot. And I kinda didn't know what to write for this chapter (I know EXACTLY what's going to happen in this story, I just didn't know what to put in this chapter).

**Characters.** First of all I want to point out that Kai is a smart man. A very, very, _very_ smart man. So for everyone thinking whatever about him, just remember that. In addition, my stories are about character development; I want everyone to LEARN about the characters in this story through what they say, their conversations with others, what the other characters say them and so on. Pay close attention to what everyone says and WHY they say it and the way they say things.

**Next Update.** I will try to put an update by this week. Always check my profile to know what's happening, what I'm doing, etc. If anyone's curious that is...

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW BITCHES!**

**SouthernDragon**

**Desastrus**

**Darial Kuznetsova – **HAHA! I love Kesha lmao

**Xxz0eyxx – **My stories are def. based on past experiences! And did you get the test done?

**Sasukechica**

**Runwithpaws**

**AriOnE**

**Just a girl – **It was just a regular retail job! Lol.

**Crying Sorceress – **I still have no idea what angry sex is! And yeah, all of the Ivanov's birthday's are my fam's birthday's lol: Tala's is my bro's, the dad's is my dad's, and the mom's, my mom's. Less thinking required that way!

**CryMeOut – **Question! Is your user name from a song by Pixie Lott?

**Tanzy – **Lmao some of the dialogues are from personal life lol!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

With both hands holding onto her purse strap, Hilary stood at the Blitzkrieg Boys' doorstep until at last, the door swung open. The brunette smiled, "Hey Kai," She greeted right away, "May I come in?" Nonverbally, she was given permission as he stepped aside, letting her inside.

As Hilary took off her coat, she scanned the house, the sight being quite an odd one to say the least: tough guy Spencer slumped on the couch with a bored expression on his face, tough guy Bryan wearing an apron and poking his head out of the kitchen, tough guy Ian sitting on the staircase, laptop in lap with headphones over his ears, his head nodding to whatever he was listening to. As the three boys welcomed her, she followed the ex Bladebreaker upstairs where she passed by the danger zone that was Tala and Dylan's room.

Half the room was all shades of pink and pastels and the other half was mostly blue and white. Her twin-sized bed was parallel to the wall, placed in the corner of the room while his much larger one was on the other side of the room, perpendicular to the wall. She caught a glimpse of the blonde on her bed using her brother's Blackberry for texting and she found the redhead on his bed using his sister's iPod, the both of them oblivious to her presence.

"This way,"

Upon Kai's direction Hilary snapped out of it, trailing behind him and into his room. "So how are you, Kai?" She enquired as she grabbed a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Good,"

"Well you're probably wondering why I've come over," She rummaged through her purse before pulling out what appeared to be an XBOX game, "Tyson sent me over here because he wants to borrow your, um, what's it called? Call of the Dying? Or Flying?"

"Call of Duty,"

"Yes!" Hilary exclaimed, "That's the one! He wants to borrow that in exchange for this. Also, I thought since I was coming over, I would give you this," She held up a paperback titled _Secret Daughter_, "This is the book I was talking to you about at the club and I told you I'd let you borrow it. I know you said you're not into stories but I think you'll really enjoy this one,"

The brunette watched as he reached for the book, examining the cover for a couple of seconds before placing it on his table as a form of acceptance, "And you can tell Tyson," He started, "If he wants to borrow something, he can come over himself and get it,"

Hilary rolled her eyes, "Thank you! That's exactly what I tell him, but _nooo_; he's been bugging me since breakfast about coming over here. So..." Her eyes wandered, "Nice room,"

"Hn,"

"How is training going?"

"It's going well,"

"I see..." And as her shoulders slumped and she let out a sigh, the phoenix checked the time on his phone.

"We're going to have dinner soon," He informed, "You can stay,"

"Oh," The brunette straightened up, "Are you sure? Will your team be okay with -"

"They don't care,"

"Oh, okay then," She consented to the casual invite and a couple of minutes later, she found herself at the dinner table served with a plate of spaghetti, meatballs, and salad. The food was good. The atmosphere wasn't. It was uncomfortable enough being with all the 'tough guys' that had a certain reputation, but with Tala's _brother_ sitting right across from her, there was a flood of emotions that Hilary couldn't seem to control.

What did Tyson see in Dylan anyway? She had a terrible personality, her IQ was probably below average, she was kind of a slut, and you know what, she wasn't even that pretty! What, with her 'hot bod', hale and hearty blonde strands, and her perfect skin? Pssh, Hilary had seen better!

...

Realizing the mental envy-vomit, the brunette shrunk in her seat subtly. The girl was attractive, Hilary couldn't deny it, and she wasn't _entirely_ jealous of Dylan, just a little upset that Tyson would go after a 'stranger' rather than someone who'd stuck right by his side, year after year.

Every grudge between Kai and Tyson? She was there.

All of Tyson's important beyblade battles? She was there.

Every assignment from school that Tyson needed help with? She was there.

After every breakup with a girl that never even deserved him in the first place? She was there.

But this was not to say that Tyson had never been there for her. He had. He was very loyal in that sense. It was just that she _wanted_ him more than a friend. Everyone could see that, couldn't he? Hilary knew she wasn't unfortunate looking; with the number of men chopping her here and there, she was aware of her good looks. And to match with that, she had intelligence and respectable qualities.

"So how are Kenny and Daichi?"

Speak of the devil. Why did she care? "They're pretty good," Hilary gave the blonde an honest answer.

Dylan smirked, "And how's my man?"

Luckily for Hilary, Tala had unintentionally cut the tension, "You don't have the skills to _get _a man, retard, so stop trying,"

"Yeah," The blonde chuckled falsely, "Like you can get a girl, _Shrek_,"

"If I'm Shrek, that makes you the ass," Fork in hand, the redhead gave the blonde a conquering smile, "Owned, bitch,"

Quick to raise a hand and silence the two was Bryan, "That's enough,"

"So what brings you here, Hilary?" Enquired Ian with a grin.

"Yeah," Spencer chimed in with similar reaction, "What brings you to Kai's territory?" And as the two snickered leaving the brown haired girl confused, Kai provided his teammates with a look of warning while Tala did the honours in smacking one of them across the head.

"_Any_ways..." With a piece of blonde hair twirled around her finger, Dylan rolled her eyes, "So Hilary, what do you think about Tyson?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's real cute, don't you think?"

"Well..." Well _obviously_.

"How long have you known him for, hun?"

"We go way back,"

The blonde seemed rather amused by the piece of information, "That's plenty of time to mess around with each other,"

Immediately, Ian, Spencer, Bryan, Tala, and even Kai – as discreet as it was for the bluenette – looked over at Hilary inquisitively, and even though they didn't _say _anything, she could see them _thinking _things: Ian wondering if they had ever kissed, Tala trying to find out if she'd ever given Tyson head, Spencer figuring out if they had ever hooked up. That was just the – perverted – thing about ALL men, whether they were as nerdy as Kenny, as proper as Robert, or as indifferent as Kai: they wanted to know all the dirty details of a girl's sexual life.

"No," Hilary shook her head, "No, no, no. Tyson and I have _never_ done anything," Lies! "So all of you can just stop assuming whatever it is that you're assuming. He's my friend, end of story,"

"Well that's a shame," Dylan remarked, "I mean I've only known him for like so little time and already my hands have been in his -"

"Okay, _okay_!" Tala clamped his hands over his ears, "I don't need to know,"

Needless to say, dinner with the Blitzkrieg Boys was an interesting experience for Hilary. What she expected was for everyone to stare everyone down in silence with their 'tough guy' facial expressions. Well, Kai did sit and eat in silence with said facial expression, but the same did not hold true for the others. They were rather _normal_.

But at last dinner had come to an end and Hilary couldn't be happier to just leave. She had accepted the offer for a ride back to the hotel from Kai and while he waited in the car, she retrieved her jacket and put on her shoes.

"How's Mariah and them?"

The brunette raised her head and found the older Ivanov standing by the front door, "They're all good. What about you and Julia?"

"We're cool,"

"Well," Hilary gave him a teasing grin, "As far as I'm concerned, you still owe her a date,"

"Whenever she's free, no problem,"

Ruby eyes narrowed very subtly for a split second, "Alright, I'm gonna get going but we should hang out some time!"

"For sure,"

Smiling, Hilary departed from the house and made her way into the BMW. The ride was short and not entirely quiet, though she did most of the talking, "Thanks," She said once in the drive in and with a final goodbye, the brunette made her way into the hotel and headed for her suite, one that she was sharing with Kenny, Daichi, and Tyson. Swiping her key card, she wasn't at all fazed by the scene: Tyson and Daichi battling it out on an XBOX game, both of them with a completely retarded expression on their face, the bluenette biting his bottom lip and sixteen year old Daichi gaping with his mouth open, and Kenny off to the corner with his laptop.

"How was Kai's?" The world champ enquired without bothering to take his eyes off the television screen.

"He said if you wanna borrow his game, you gotta go over there and get it yourself,"

"Oh," Funny enough, Tyson didn't seem at all bothered by this, "Okay."

Meanwhile, everything had gone back to normal at the Blitzkrieg Boys' crib. Well, as normal as it could get. Staying up late on Sunday was something Tala wasn't going to let Dylan do and thus by midnight, the blonde was sent upstairs. One by one, everyone else began calling it a night, the last being Kai. By the time he had gotten into bed, it was a little past 3 in the morning.

The culprit that had kept him up until the wee hours of the morning? The ex Bladebreakers, all of them gaming fanatics much like him. With the power of technology came the power to play the very same game and face each other without being in the same room physically, and thus Tyson, Max, Ray, and Mr. Night Owl himself had all pled guilty to a little Halo ass kicking.

Thirty minutes into hitting the sack, slumber was imminent. But being a technically light sleeper, any sort of disruption would snap him back into consciousness. Case in point: the sound of someone walking around the house. It had originated from the team captain's room but it wasn't the redhead; after living with the guys for five years, Kai had learned to differentiate between their footsteps.

Nonetheless, it wasn't any of the other guys, it was Dylan and that much was obvious. The unobvious part? The extra pair of footsteps. Had she snuck someone into her room? Was it a guy? Did he come in through the window? How come Tala didn't notice?

Crawling out of his bed and throwing a hoodie over himself, Kai silently made his way to the main floor and towards the kitchen where the sources seemed to be; what stupidity was that girl up to now?

"Good boy,"

Hearing her whisper such a thing only made the phoenix more questioning. With his back against the wall, he carefully poked his head into the kitchen only to furrow his brows at the sight he was presented with. The blonde was seated on the tiled floor, cross-legged, and standing before her was a significantly large dog. With white fur all around and the distinctive features, it appeared to resemble a Siberian Husky but a closer look told Kai otherwise.

Wolborg.

* * *

**REVELATION! **I feel the need to let you know that there were **2** things revealed in this chapter! They were very subtle but it was there (I'm not gonna say what it was but I WILL say one had something to do with Tyson and the other had something to do with Tala; reread the chapter if you need to). And like I said, QUESTION what you read in this story. Why did a certain character react the way they did? Why did they say certain things? Stuff like that!

**Boy Drama.** So apparently my ex boyfriend is my boyfriend again (that's what he said). How I feel about that? I don't know...especially since I'm also seeing another guy on the side and my 'boyfriend' doesn't know (and he'll never know!). The even worse part? The other guy is my bro's best friend's older bro (the guy I'm NOT supposed to see!) and my bro doesn't know yet. It didn't seem like a big deal in the beginning, juggling two guys at once, I was only doing it to compare and evaluate, but now that it seems like they're both 'serious', it's kind of hard. So ladies, I need your help: keep dating both guys until I know which one to pick or cut one loose right now? Good Lawd.

**And thanks to...**

**SouthernDragon – **The letters were already opened and read and then just put back in the envelope, that's all.

**Xxz0eyxx – **How about now? Does Liam know now?

**Marishka91 – **Don't apologize for not being able to review! It's alright, lol, university must be a priority, make sure you do all your work! I'd know firsthand, I got kicked out of mine for being lazy. And all questions about the story shall be answered as we move on! Lol.

**Darial Kuznetsova **

**AriOne**

**The Master of the Hobos**

**CryMeOut – **Yeah I thought your name was from a song! I was on YouTube and I came across the song (a remixed version) and I really liked it! And it got me thinking lol.

**Missconfus3d –** Yeah the manager was really bad! He asked me if I was a virgin, he asked me what I would say if he asked me out (remember, he's 37 and I'm 22), and all that stuff. It was just really odd!

**SushiBomb**

**SongOfTheShadows**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

In its' battle form, Wolborg had wings and feistier features, but in its' materialized form, it was more like your standard dog.

Well, wolf.

Still hidden from view, Kai watched the blonde pet the wolf behind the ears before making her way over to the fridge, pulling out a container full of dinner leftovers. Popping the lid open, she picked out a piece of chicken and grinned, "You hungry, boy?"

The way she flaunted the chicken? Who wouldn't be? With its' tongue out and its' tail wagging, Wolborg appeared eager and when Dylan served the item in a bowl, the animal immediately gnawed on the drumstick, holding it down with one paw. Meanwhile, the younger Ivanov had fetched a glass of milk for herself along with a few chocolate chip cookies and leaned by the counter where Tala's grey beyblade lay close by.

Having seen enough of the bizarre scene, Kai decided to head back to his room. Her business with Wolborg was none of his concern, though he was positive she was doing it behind her older bro's back. Besides, it didn't look like she was doing anything bad.

**x x x**

To Dylan's dismay, Monday had rolled by. After having the pancakes that Bryan had made her for breakfast, she packed her lunch for school; this consisted of filling up a container with last night's soupy dinner. Dragging her backpack by the strap in one hand, she headed to the driveway where Tala was already waiting in the car for her.

But not in the driver's seat.

The blonde furrowed her brows and tapped at the passenger seat window to which he motioned for her to come around and take the wheel. Tossing her schoolbag in the backseat, she raised a brow, "You're letting me drive?"

"I'm teaching you _how_ to drive. I've already started the car for you,"

"Um hello?" She quickly pulled out a certain card from her wallet, "I have my driver's licence. I can drive,"

"That," He shoved the card aside, "is for California. We're in Russia. There's a lot of snow out there, so drive slow. And put on your belt, dumb ass,"

And so begun the 'tutorial'. The drive was slow indeed and not much instruction – other than directions – was needed. Finally on school property, the blonde shifted the gear to park and looked over at the redhead, "Does this mean I can have the car from now on?"

The redhead laughed out loud as if to humiliate her, "In your fucking dreams, Dill Pickle. Now get out, I have places to be," He exited the car as did she, the two of them meeting half way around the vehicle where he nicked the keys out of her hands and sped off, heading to a grocery store to pick up a few things before arriving home. As he cleared the trunk of all the grocery bags, he noticed a taxi stopping opposite the road, right in front of his house, a familiar pinkette emerging from it.

No, not Mariah.

Slender in figure, short in height, and with wispy pastel pink hair, it was unmistakeably Mathilda. With a grey beret over her head, a black winter coat, and a purse, she jogged across with a smile, "Hi,"

"Hey," He greeted, though silently wondered what the girl was doing here. After all, she had never dropped by. Scratch that, the two had never exchanged anything other than 'hi's and 'bye's. On top of that, Barthez Battalion was a team they weren't remotely close with.

"Is Dylan home?"

"She's at school," The Blitzkrieg Boy informed as he shut the trunk and looked down at her, "What's up?"

The soon-to-be-seventeen year old twisted her foot on the ground for a couple of seconds before rummaging through her purse, hastily pulling out a bracelet, "She left this at my place so I'm just giving it back,"

"Alright, I'll tell her you came by," He reached for the piece of jewellery only to have Mathilda pull it back.

"Actually if you don't mind, can I leave it in her room?"

"Uh, okay," The redhead accepted, leading the way to the house and unlocking the door, "It's upstairs. You'll know which room when you see it,"

The pinkette nodded, running to the second floor and whizzing past Kai on the way to which the bluenette raised a brow prior to entering the kitchen. After checking the time, he bent over and peeked into the oven where his chicken nuggets had just finished cooking. Pulling out the baking tray, he dumped the nuggets into a small plate and poured some ketchup onto the side and proceeded out of the kitchen.

"Alright so I'm gonna get going," Mathilda jogged back to the main floor, "And can you give this to her?" She held out a Post-It, approaching the redhead.

Taking one look at it, Tala wrinkled his nose, "What language is this?"

The hedgehog laughed and waved it off, "Oh, just, you know. By the way, how's your girlfriend?"

The California native gave the girl a weird look, "What girlfriend?"

"Your girlfriend," Mathilda repeated in insistence, "Julia,"

"We're just dating,"

"So she's _not_ your girlfriend?"

"No,"

"Do you actually like her?"

To say Tala was surprised by her sudden assertiveness would have been an understatement, "Why is any of this relevant?" That was his nice way of saying 'why do you care' and 'none of your business'.

"I was just curious. Anyways, thanks! See you guys around!"

As she left, the team captain closed the door and went over the note a second time, "Aya...fat...lania?" Shaking his head and giving up, he dropped the note onto the coffee table.

Though Kai seemed indifferent, he glanced over at the message, which appeared to be nothing but gibberish:

_i.a.y.e.f.t.l.a.y.n.i.a.y.o.u.r.y.a.y.a.n.t.i.e.p.a.y.r.a.w.e.r.d.a.y_.

Instantly, the bluenette could understand Tala's reaction. Taking a bite out of his snack, Kai narrowed his eyes and with a closer look, the intelligent blader picked up on a pattern, mentally separating the line:

_iay eftlay niay ouryay antiepay rawerday._

And after that, it had become much too easy – Pig Latin – ultimately translating into:

_I left it in your pantie drawer._

The slate haired boy glanced over his shoulder to find Tala stocking the fridge. Leaving the note back where he found it, he went upstairs. Quietly stepping into the Ivanovs' room, he stood in front of a wooden dresser. Her pantie drawer, eh? It was a good hiding place; after all, no one in the house would go through Dylan's pantie drawer.

Except Kai.

Hey, if she could touch him, spank him, kiss him, eye rape him, and 'accidentally' catch sight of his disco stick, he felt that he had every 'right' to go into her undergarment drawer; no big deal, no problem. Besides, he'd done worse like stick his hand down her top and feel around her bare chest just to find a pair of keys.

Pulling the drawer open, he was met with a variety of colours. Delving through the pieces, he found something tucked away at the bottom: Mathilda's launcher.

**x x x**

As a bell rung through the entire school marking the start of lunch, Dylan exited English class and made her way to the cafeteria, grabbing a seat at a random table. Unzipping her backpack, she reached for her lunch only to be horrified – and disgusted – by wet notebooks, wet textbooks, wet homework, and other wet stationary. In fact, there was a large soaked spot on her school bag she hadn't noticed until now. Turquoise orbs widened as she pulled out the leaking container of soup, the contents dripping on the table, on the floor, and down her hands.

Most of her lunch had leaked out and whatever was left couldn't even be considered snack-sized. Fed up with the lunch catastrophe for the second time, she discarded it, container and all. With 'rubbers' in her wallet, she decided to buy lunch but avoided going back to the 'condom woman', choosing another close by fast food joint instead.

Ordering a cheeseburger and fries, she sat down and took a bite. And frowned. The taste was just a little different from what she was used to. No, there wasn't anything wrong with it and it wasn't bad...at least not _that_ bad. She'd survive.

But she chose not to.

Wrapping the uneaten burger back in its wrap, she tossed it into the trashcan and left. Lunch ended soon and so did school and she found herself back at home, in the security and warmth of her bed. With a random monkey plushie under one arm, she examined her eyelashes in a compact mirror in boredom. A buzzing sound in the room interrupted her observation of herself as she sat up, scanning the room until she found the source of the noise: a Blackberry lying on the edge of the other bed in the room.

Eyeing the door, she narrowed her eyes and tried to figure out just where Tala was and hearing his voice in the kitchen, she knew the coast was clear. Gazing back at the phone, she viewed the newly sent text message from – dun, dun, dun – Julia: _r we still on for drinks 2night?_

Muttering a curse word, Dylan absentmindedly drummed her fingers on the phone for a couple of seconds before smirking and composing a brand new text message.

**x x x**

With a bowl of chocolate covered almonds, a packet of chips, and a couple of cans of Coke lying around, Mariah and Hilary had made themselves comfortable in Julia's room. Though the television was on, the volume was turned down and none of the three females paid attention to it.

Instead, they entertained themselves with the cult favourite of all women: gossip.

"Johnny and Salima,"

"_Johnny_ and _Salima_?"

"Johnny and Salima," Hilary repeated with a nod, "I saw them,"

"That's disgusting," Julia wrinkled her nose, "I mean they look more like brother and sister,"

"Are you _sure_?" Mariah challenged the brunette.

"Positive. They made out just outside the hotel and then he took her inside, probably to his room," The brunette detailed, "And I will add that she looked a little tipsy,"

"Bet they did some hanky panky," Julia sent the other two a wink, "Kinda like what Tala and I are gonna do tonight when I bring him over. Anyways," She got up, "I'm gonna go get ready,"

While the Spanish blader grabbed some clothes and walked into the washroom, Hilary looked over at Mariah and proceeded to whisper, "Are you okay with all this?"

The pinkette picked up her Coke, "Okay with what?"

"With them going out and doing things..."

Mariah rolled her eyes, "Two years _before _Julia ever even got her hands on him, I already 'did things' with Tala. She just wants her turn with him. Besides, one girl's trash," She smirked, "is another girl's treasure."

Picking up on a familiar emotion known to _every_ woman worldwide when it came to men, Hilary only grooved her brows but decided against making any sort of comment, "Oh, so Kenny was showing me this thing on YouTube today," She began changing the topic but was cut short by the ring of Mariah's cell phone laying on the carpet a few inches away from them.

The owner reached for her communication device and immediately distorted her expression and looked over at the brunette, "Tala just texted me,"

"Seriously?" Hilary appeared intrigued, leaning in closer, "What does it say?"

"He said: so when should I be expecting homemade lunch?" Mariah lowered the phone, "This is so weird; he _never_ texts me,"

"Well text back," The other girl encouraged.

Nodding, Mariah sat up straight and began a reply: _lol anytime you want i guess._ A response from Tala was fast: _wat about breakfast in bed? ;)_

"Wow! I can't believe this guy! He's flirting with you!" Hilary exclaimed, "Ask him, be like 'are you flirting with me?',"

"Isn't that way too upfront?"

"Who cares? Put him on the spot!"

And so Mariah typed up another text: _u flirting w/ me? lol._ And to that, she received the following: _maybe..._

"Okay _don't_ text him back," Hilary instructed, "I thought he'd back down after you asked him that,"

"Hilary, this is _Tala_, he doesn't back down,"

"What a dick. Julia needs to see that before she goes out with him,"

"No!" Mariah whispered loudly, "Tala's probably just fooling around, you know how he is. Don't say anything to Julia, she really likes him and I don't wanna be the one to ruin everything between them. That's Dyltch's job."

**x x x**

As Ian set up the dinner table with plates and cutlery, Bryan grabbed the pot by the handle and placed it on the table, "FOOD!" His calling was followed by everyone dropping whatever it was they were doing and dashing to the table, everyone fighting to be the first one to serve themselves dinner.

Things had settled down when everybody got their share and a random conversation – a debate, rather, over the iPhone and the Blackberry – had commenced.

"You guys are retarded," Ian rolled his eyes, "Android phones beat all,"

Before another discussion could erupt, Bryan silenced the table, "Let's talk about something else. What are everyone's plans for the night?"

"I'm taking Julia out tonight," Came the team captain's response and sooner than Bryan could enquire further, the cheerleader across the table immediately piped in.

"Oh, you mean like on a date?"

"I mean like none of your business, dip shit,"

"Oh okay, because I was thinking of going out with Garland tonight," Dylan spilled the beans with a sly smirk, "I think we should all double date,"

Tala sneered, "Yeah, that's never happening,"

"Well anyways, since you're my older brother and we both love each other to death, I need some advice from you: is Garland a boob guy or an ass guy? I wanna look _extra_ special for him if you know what I mean,"

The older Ivanov rolled his eyes. Her lame attempt at trying to piss him off just wasn't going to work. He could care less about Dylan going out with Garland, Dylan looking 'extra' special for Garland, or even Dylan herself. She was just a bitch that just so happened to be blood-related to him, but that's all there was to it. Tala knew that the relationship he had with his sister was going to be one where they'd both get married sooner or later, have kids, never bother talking to each other, and eventually all contact would be cut off.

Did that bother him? Truth be told – and as bad as the truth was going to sound – he didn't mind the slightest bit. He didn't like Dylan at all; she got on his nerves and she was dumb. All she'd managed to do so far during her stay in Russia was to annoy the crap out of him and land him troublesome situations: messing with Julia, being vulgar towards Mariah, screwing with all his other friends, and throwing things further off balance with Garland. Besides, he hadn't lived with her for five years, and though five years didn't seem like a lot, it was when he considered the fact that she was only a 12 year old kid when he left California, and now she was almost growing out of her teenage years and becoming a woman.

"I'm confused," Ian began, "Do you like Garland or Tyson?"

Dylan shrugged indifferently, "I haven't really decided yet,"

"Well I would advise you to cut Garland loose," Bryan put in his two cents, "He's not the best guy,"

"Why?" The blonde raised a brow, "Because he whooped Tala's ass?" She looked over at the redhead, "Look sweetheart, I'm really sorry that Garland totally trashed you and made you look like a serious dumb ass in front of millions and billions of people and you just couldn't do anything at all about it because you're a pussy, but that's really not my fault or my problem. And don't feel bad, hun, Garland's a big guy and he's pretty intimidating; I can see why you're so scared of him,"

While Garland had 'totally trashed' him 2 years ago, Dylan had totally pissed him the fuck off right now. Before he could stop himself from giving into his rage, Tala reached for her plate of food and flung it across the kitchen. It hit the wall by the fridge, breaking into several pieces and leaving chunks of food virtually everywhere. Though she'd flinched, she'd done so subtly, and an eerie tension filled the dinner table for everyone.

Spencer gaped at the wall while Ian narrowed his eyes at the blonde culprit and Kai only pulled his meal closer and continued eating, acting as if nothing had happened. But it was calm and collective Bryan that seemed to explode. With furrowed brows, a blaming finger pointed towards Dylan, he raised his voice, "You have absolutely _no_ fucking right to say things like that to him. I've been nothing but patient with you since your first day here and you've been testing me and everyone else in this house. We've all been kind to you but if you are going to keep throwing it in our faces, then I'm telling you right now that if you don't fix yourself for the rest of your stay here, it's going to be hell for you,"

"Yo," Tala's turquoise orbs shifted to Bryan, "I don't remember my parents putting you in charge and I don't remember handing my position over to you either," Finally he eyed the vile creature that was Dylan, "Get the fuck out of my sight, you fucking piece of useless shit. And do us all a favour and go hang yourself on the ceiling fan,"

With an eye roll and muttering a 'whatevs', the blonde pushed her chair back and left the kitchen. She was on her way upstairs but was stopped when there was a knock on the door. Stepping away from the staircase, she strolled towards the door, unlocking it and pulling it open to find Julia. Instantly, the blonde crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, "May I help you?"

"You may," Julia smirked triumphantly, mimicking the blonde's stance folding her arms over her chest, "I'm here for Tala. We're going out,"

"Hmm, that's funny because he's been getting pretty cozy with Mariah behind your back,"

Julia laughed out loud, "Little girl, you have too much time on your hands. Now if you don't mind, your brother and I have plans,"

"Hun, I'm only telling you because I don't want my _bro_ breaking such a nice hoe's heart into ity bity pieces. He's known to do that. Besides, you can check his phone if you don't believe me; he's been texting Mariah,"

"Well I don't believe you, obviously," Julia invited herself inside and stood by the living room, "Tala?" And as if it were a prayer calling, the redhead dashed out of the kitchen, greeting her and seating her.

"I would have picked you up," He added as he grabbed his jacket out of the closet.

"Well you know, I didn't want you falling _asleep_ again," The Spanish blader cast a devious look towards Dylan before gazing back at the older Californian, "So we ready to go?" And a couple of minutes from there, Julia found herself perched up on a barstool of a trendy lounge, sipping away on a mixed drink while the redhead had a pint of Keith's. As the drinks kept coming, conversation topics ranged from movies, the opposite sex, and finally, Mariah, "Do you guys still talk?"

"Not really," Tala confessed, "We've bumped into each other a few times, but that's pretty much it,"

"So you guys don't really talk on the phone...or text?"

"Nah," He shook his head, "Lee's a faggot. Whatever I do, he'll make something else out of it,"

"So you don't text Mariah at all?"

"No..." Tala made a face; after all, it came off as more of an interrogation than a question, and for it to come from a girl that wasn't even his girlfriend was strange, "Why the specific question?"

"No reason, I was just asking to see how you guys were doing, that's all. Anyways," Julia waved off with a grin and ordered more drinks for the two of them.

It was some rounds later when the alcohol starting sinking in giving him that slightly hazy effect, the redhead decided to call it a night, especially since he'd be driving. He wasn't supposed to drive anyway, but hey, men are rather stupid and always considered themselves invincible. He pulled up to her hotel's drive-in, shifting the gear into park, "Are you gonna get upstairs okay?"

"If you come _with_ me," She stuck her tongue out, "As a matter of fact, why don't you just stay the night?"

Seeing as it was past midnight and he was a little buzzed and tired, he figured crashing at Julia's wasn't such a bad idea. Leaving the Supra in the underground parking lot, he followed the Latina to her room, "I don't think Raul's here," She whispered as she entered the dark suite.

The fact that he finally had some legit privacy with Julia seemed to excite Tala as his hands slipped to her waist, "You hinting something?"

With a boy as smokin' as him, Jesus Christ, what girl _wouldn't_ be hinting something? They started kissing, eventually falling onto Julia's bed. At the rate things were going and _how_ they were going, they both already knew the outcome.

But a lamp lighting up the room all of a sudden prevented that outcome, and the two frisky nineteen year olds were horrified to find Raul sitting up on his bed. After rubbing his eyes, his face screwed up into a look of revulsion, "Whoa, shit," He averted his gaze, "K..."

"What the hell, Raul?" Julia exclaimed, pulling the blanket closer. Meanwhile, Tala tried to fight off the awkwardness as he took shelter under the covers, thanking God in the process he hadn't gotten her naked.

Or gotten naked himself!

"No! What the hell, _Julia_! You know you share a room with me; why would you be bringing..." Raul trailed off, swinging his head the opposite way in dismay, "I'm just really disturbed right now,"

"I thought you went out,"

"Are you dumb?" The younger sibling rolled his eyes, "I told you we should have got a room like Tyson's team, you know, a suite with _separate_ rooms!"

"We weren't going to do anything so shut up," Yeah right. It took a couple of minutes for the commotion to come to an end, and by the time it did, Tala had already dozed off. Upon realizing such, Julia made a noise of frustration but snuggled up closer to him anyway after turning off the light. But as time ticked by further into the wee hours of the morning, she was unable to sleep.

_"Check his phone if you don't believe me; he's been texting Mariah,"_

She didn't need to believe Dylan for there to still grow a microscopic-sized doubt that perhaps Tala and Mariah had something going on. They _did_ have history. Yeah they never really went out and became official, but she was curious to know what they _did_ have. How far had they gone? She'd asked the White Tiger occasionally, like any normal friend would, but the pinkette never really opened up about the two of them.

See, Julia knew very well of a certain reputation Tala had with women; he got bored fast.

_Very_ fast.

Having said that, was the failure of him and Mariah a result of his boredom or was it really Lee? In other words, did Tala actually like Mariah or was he only in it for the booty and using Lee as a scapegoat?

She paused all thought. She wanted to find out for herself. Moving as slowly as possible, Julia felt around the jeans he'd gone to sleep in and upon coming in contact with what she was looking for, she carefully pulled out his phone. Turning around the opposite way she began her investigation. His recent calls, both incoming and outgoing, were mostly Kai, Ian, Bryan, Spencer, and his parents. Nonetheless, there were no calls exchanged with Mariah. She went onto check his messages but there was nothing to and from her.

The evidence she was looking for, she didn't find, thus calming her nerves and coming to the conclusion that Dylan had _obviously_ lied. Besides, Julia was sure there was nothing 'boring' about her. Sit boy, walk boy, roll over boy – she had the redhead wrapped around her fingers and under control.

* * *

**Sorry!** I just didn't know how to wrap up this chapter!

**Question...**What's your bra size? I just got a job at La Senza and I'm curious! LOL!

**Thanks to...**

**Waffles – **Your guess is good! That's all I can say though :P

**SongOfTheShadows**

**Darial Kuznetsova**

**Just a girl**

**Tanzy – **Yes! Real life! My stories are based on real life lol.

**Smiffyizdabest**

**Chocolatexloverx16 – **I hardly sign in when I write a review lol and YES! I do know who you are! Your cabbage storey ROFL! And a lot of shit happens in Toronto lol it's an interesting place to live (Youtube "Epic Why Guy"...that happened during the G20. That vid...LMAO!).

**xxz0eyxx **

**marishka91**

**Crying Sorceress – **Yes, it does have to do with that line lol. And ruby and red are the same thing (technically). And yeah I shouldn't see two guys at the same time. I don't do anything with them though (well, at least not with the other guy). I just wanna see where things go; I don't wanna waste like another 3 years with a guy and it doesn't end up going well.

**SouthernDragon**

**The Master of the Hobos**

**REVIEW BITCHES! xoxo**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**CHAPTER TWENTY SIX**

It was 3-something in the morning and the Blitzkrieg Boys' house was dead silent. Tala hadn't come home and he probably wasn't going to and everyone else went to bed. Kai himself had gone to bed about an hour ago but he found himself unable to sleep. That wasn't odd; it usually took him a while – a long while – to actually fall asleep.

He 'hn'-ed in annoyance at his lack of slumber but perked up quickly when he heard the door to his room open, some of the light from hallway surging in. A silhouette of a female body told him it was Dylan. What she was doing in here, he had no idea.

And had no desire to know for that matter.

Nonetheless, he kept still and pretended to be asleep just to see what she was up to. Other than keeping quiet so as not to wake him up, she wasn't being discreet about her presence, a conduct that told him she wasn't sneaking in to steal or cause any sort of trouble. The fact that she was up at this time didn't faze him much. While she was typically in bed by midnight, she did get up in the middle of the night sometimes for a cup of milk or a small snack.

Kai felt her stroll near his bedside before tugging at his blanket, essentially straightening them out for him. Quickly fixing his pillow, she brushed some of his bangs aside and as casually as she had come in, she left just as casually.

**x x x**

As uncomfortable as it may seem to be to go to sleep in jeans and a sweater, Tala seemed perfectly relaxed as he nuzzled next to Julia. Though they were asleep, the curtains had already been pulled aside – perhaps by Raul, who was absent from the room – and natural light was what lit up the room. From the looks of it, the two could continue on sleeping forever, but the alarm that had been set on a certain someone's phone went off.

Lazily the redhead raised his head, slightly confused by his surroundings at first before he hunted down his cell phone, turning off the 7:30 AM alarm. Piecing up everything from last night he recalled sleeping over at Julia's and upon remembering why there was an alarm in the first place, he jumped out of bed.

It was a weekday morning.

Grabbing his jacket off the floor, he put his shoes on quickly, and just before he dashed out of the room, Julia propped herself up on her elbows, "What's going on?"

"Dylan has school," He detailed before looking over at her, "I have to go. I'll call you later," With that he ran for the elevators, pushing the button repeatedly until it arrived. He headed for the underground parking lot for his car and drove maniacally to get to his house.

Unfortunately for him it was rush hour, and thus what should have taken him about ten minutes to reach his place took him a little over 20. He ran up the stairs, skipping a stair or two on the way and nearly running over Kai who had a cup of coffee in his possession. Finally in his room, the redhead was horrified to find his sister still snoozing.

"Wake up, asshole!" Tala tugged her entire body off the bed by her foot.

"Ow! What the fuck!"

"You're late!"

Though Dylan was the one who had school, Tala seemed to be the bigger worrier. That was probably because he didn't want her to miss school, end up flunking out, and have to stay _longer_ with him and ruin his life. The redhead shuddered at the mere life threatening thought of that. Where it had taken him just a couple of minutes to freshen up and change into something else, it had naturally taken her longer for being a girl.

Uniformed and jacketed with her backpack and a winter hat on, Dylan stepped into the kitchen. Early birds Kai and Bryan were already in there with their cups of coffee as per usual. As per _un_usual, there was no breakfast ready for the blonde. Taking into account the altercation she had with Bryan last night, she realized he hadn't bothered to make her anything.

Before she could search the kitchen for a granola bar or a Pop-Tart, she felt herself being yanked from behind by her backpack, "No time!" She heard the older Ivanov yell as he dragged her towards the front door.

"I didn't have breakfast yet!"

"We don't have time!"

"I didn't make my lunch," She grabbed onto the couch, "Stop pulling me!"

Muttering a 'fucking dumbass', he let her go and jogged into the kitchen. He came out a millisecond later, throwing a can of Coke towards her and taking the liberty to stuff an entire packet of chocolate chip cookies into her backpack.

"_This_ is my lunch?" The beach babe wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah! There's nothing wrong with it! Let's go!" And with a final tug, the two were out of the house.

Taking the risk of getting slammed with another ticket, Tala sped through the roads trying to beat the school bell and during this, Dylan decided to strike up a conversation, "So how come you never came home last night?"

"Julia called me over to take a look at her beybalde,"

"No, no, no, hun; Whore-lia called you over to take a look at _her_,"

"I wouldn't mind,"

"Of course you wouldn't. A girl with a chest as flat as the horizon of the Pacific Ocean is the best you can do,"

The redhead frowned, "Stop,"

Dylan shrugged a shoulder casually, "I'm just saying it as it is. She's like a 24-hour grocery store," She split her two fingers in a horizontal peace sign to signify a pair of legs, "Always open,"

"First of all, she's not like that. Second, you don't even know her. Third, who you're really describing is your hoe, Mallory. In fact, let's downgrade her: she's more like a gas station, and not the good kinds, I'm talking about the shabby ones you see in the outskirts of L.A., you know, all dirty and unsanitary and shit. Nobody wants to get near them. At least grocery stores are healthy, Dill Pickle, and I'm telling you, she's not healthy," He paused, "Especially for you,"

"And I'm telling you, M's not interested in you," To mock him, she stopped for a brief second as well, "Especially you,"

"Yeah, that definitely explains why the flabby bitch hooked up with me. Two years later and you _still_ don't know about it,"

"Two years later and I still don't know about it because it never happened, sweetheart, so you can stop pretending like you were actually able to get some from my BFF. And she's not flabby,"

"She's flabby. Trust me, I'd know; I'm the one who watched her thighs jiggle when I - "

With an understandably repelled look on her face, the blonde covered her ears with her mitten clad hands, "La, la, la, la, la! Not listening!"

The two siblings fought for a little bit as he tried to pull one of her hands off her ear so he could give her details she'd rather not know, while she continued shouting 'not listening' over and over again, turning up the music in the car in the process.

She was spared, however, when the Supra pulled up onto her school property. Tala only rolled his eyes as Dylan dramatically scurried out of the car. He headed straight home after that, planning to go back to bed for a couple of more hours to fight off the fatigue. Instead he was surprised by Mr. Dickenson's presence on his living room couch.

The chairman stood up immediately, "Good morning, my boy,"

"Morning," The redhead briefly looked over at Ian as if to ask what was going on but got a very subtle shrug of the shoulders in response. After the casual 'how are you's, the team captain found himself at the breakfast table with the rest of his team and the elder man, demolishing plates of pancakes.

"Well I came by here for Dylan," Mr. Dickenson began, "But I can see that she's not home,"

"She's at school," Tala detailed, "What'd she do?"

Mr. Dickenson chuckled, reaching for his cup of tea, "She has done nothing at all. I've come here to give her this," He held out what appeared to be a ticket.

"What's this for?" Enquired the Blitzkrieg Boy with a raised brow.

"As you know, the cheer team is an essential entity for the BBA and I've arranged a little something for the girls this Friday, a meet and greet if you will, and as she's captain, Dylan's attendance would be greatly appreciated,"

Though Tala accepted the ticket and had set it aside, he sighed, "As much as I respect you and your decisions, Mr. Dickenson, I don't think socializing with such people is what she needs right now. I don't even think she should have been made captain of the cheer team,"

"Such people?" The chairman repeated.

"I don't mean it in a degrading way or anything, but...you know what I mean,"

"I'm afraid I don't. All the girls on the BBA cheer team are wonderful girls; I picked them myself,"

"And I don't doubt that," Tala lied; after all, cheerleaders had a certain reputation and his sister seemed to cover every trait that came with that status, from being a grade A bitch to sleeping around with every guy, "But Dylan has a lot of issues: social, financial, moral, and educational. If you think I'm being biased because I'm her brother then you can ask anyone in this house, they'll have the same things to say. Even Mariah, Hilary, Julia, and Mathilda will give you a testimony if required,"

"Nonsense!"

"He's being serious," Ian piped in, siding with the redhead, "She's not a bad person, I mean not _entirely_..." He fiddled with his goggles awkwardly as Bryan proceeded to finish what he was trying to say.

"...she's just young and has a few things she needs to work on,"

Nobody had expected Kai to say anything, of course, so his turn was skipped and all eyes landed on the final teammate, Spencer. He remained silent for a couple of seconds before clearing his throat and dishing out his two cents on She-Satan: "She thinks I'm gorgeous."

Tala made a face as if to non-verbally call Spencer an idiot as Bryan only shook his head with a sigh, while Kai 'hn'-ed indifferently and Ian opted to kick the blonde from under the table.

"That's...erm...yes..." Mr. Dickenson started uneasily, "Anyhow, I understand your concern with all this but I trust you will give her the invitation,"

"K," Came the nonchalant reply from Tala.

Now ladies, don't ever get a 'K' confused with an 'okay', especially when it came from a man. 'Okay' was a guy's way of agreeing to something. 'K' was a guy's way of 1) _un_willingly agreeing to something, 2) acknowledging something without particular interest, 3) dismissing a conversation, 4) declaring that he had no comment to a certain situation, or 5) all of the above. And yes, for those wondering, it's universal.

"Truth be told, I'm rather surprised by your perspective of your sister," The BBA organizer continued, "I think she's a lovely girl. She's quite like you, actually; like brother, like sister,"

What came next was the sound of an extremely disturbed Tala gagging as he ran to the trashcan and leaned over, on the verge of throwing up. Him and Dylan alike? Good Lawd! It was perhaps the most obscene thing that he'd ever heard! She was blonde, he was a redhead, she was stupid, he was smart, she was spoiled, he was independent, she used people to her advantage, he'd been used bypeople for their advantage, she was discourteous, he was...well he wasn't the nicest guy on the planet but he knew he wasn't as bad as her and never was. But ugh, he couldn't believe Mr. Dickenson would actually _compare_ them on such basis. It was so insulting.

The only thing that was 'alike' about them was that she didn't like him and he couldn't stand her, a mutual dislike for each other. Man, why couldn't he have a cool older brother? Why couldn't he just have been the only child? Why the heck did his parents have to have sex without a condom?

**x x x**

Decorating the platter with the last PB and J sandwich half, Hilary stood content. Empty glasses were set aside next to a jug of orange juice, a hot coffee pot, and a carton of milk. There were other food items too, a little something for everyone that would be joining her soon.

The brunette strolled across the hotel suite, passing by Kenny's room, then hers', Daichi's, and at last, Tyson's. She frowned however, when she realized the bluenette was still in bed. Making a noise of frustration, Hilary stepped into his room, "Tyson!" She yelled, going for the curtains first, yanking them open, "I told you the girls were coming over and -" She stopped midsentence suddenly, in exchange for a high pitched girly scream as she hit herself on the side of the bed. Holding onto one leg and hopping on the other, she toppled over and fell right onto – you guessed it – the world champ himself.

Hilary propped herself up, hovering above Tyson in basically a girly-push up position. The star blader carried a pained expression on his face before cracking an eye open, "Nice," He muttered in annoyance before his features changed into a flirty one as he acquired the perfect view down her hanging top, "_Very_ nice..."

The brunette clutched onto her shirt, "Tyson!"

Chuckling, he stretched, "Just being honest, Hil-_arious_,"

She rolled her eyes, "I thought I told you last night that Julia, Mariah, Salima, and Emily were coming over for breakfast and that you needed to be _gone_!Kenny and Daichi already left! Girls need privacy!"

"When are they coming?"

"About fifteen minutes?"

"Hmm," In a fast move, Tyson switched places with the brunette so that he was over her and she was on the bottom, "That gives you and me plenty of time,"

"W-what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean,"

Yes, she knew what he meant. Bits of familiarity, bits of desire, bits of anxiety; an overall strange feeling washed over Hilary. It was so wrong to be intimate – _sexually_ intimate – with someone who was just a friend and nothing more.

Well, not everyone followed that ethic, hence one-night stands and the like.

The truth was she'd been intimate like_ that_ with Tyson before. During the performance she felt great but not in the 'I'm having sex and it feels _so _good' kind of way; it was more of a feeling of closeness, something that obviously couldn't be experienced with every member of the opposite sex except for that special someone. But after the deed was done, she always felt so used.

And kind of like a slut.

It was because the sessions were never ever mentioned and were never ever talked about and were done strictly on a friends-only-no-strings-attached basis, and after it was over, the dragon always acted as if it never happened. _Literally_. She was more than positive Tyson hadn't told Max, Ray, or Kai, not even Kenny and Daichi. They were done once in a blue moon, randomly, very privately, and mutually.

But still.

It bothered her that she'd let herself be okay with such an immorality. After all, he wasn't a boyfriend, an ex boyfriend, a date, a former date or anything remotely close to that nature.

Tyson Granger was _just_ a friend.

She knew she wasn't a slut. In real life. She also knew Tyson wasn't a player. In real life. Indeed he was a young guy and young guys liked to look at and have dirty thoughts about women and come up with ways to make those dirty thoughts materialize, but he was loyal. Tyson was the kind of guy where if he settled down with a girl, he wouldn't stray. He had what guys like Enrique, Kai, Brooklyn, Tala, Johnny, and 90 percent of the male population didn't have: commitment. And for a guy his age, that wasn't an easy thing to encompass. Most men don't acquire commitment until their mid 30s and some never acquire it at all.

He could be dumb, loud, obnoxious, stubborn, and all those other things that a woman may find annoying sometimes, but in comparison to the guys mentioned above and others, Tyson was genuinely a _really_ good guy.

And drop dead cute as hell.

"Just kidding,"

Hilary snapped back to reality, "Huh?"

The athlete laughed, "I said I was only joking," He rolled over to the other side of the bed, his hands behind his head, "So, have you talked to Kai lately?"

"Uh, not really," Hilary sat up, "And no I'm _not _going over again to get your stupid game; you want it, you go get it. Anyways, the girls are gonna be here any minute,"

"I trained for hours last night, I'm tired," Tyson yawned prior to making an irresistible puppy face, "Can I sleep in for a bit? I won't eavesdrop on your 'girl talk', I swear,"

The brown haired girl sighed as she swung her legs over the mattress, "Fine,"

"Thanks!" He flashed her a grin, "Wake me up for lunch?"

"Sure," 'Hil-arious' nodded before leaving his room, closing the door behind her.

**x x x**

For the outsider looking in, the scene was rather amusing. Some of the students had a blank zombie-like expression on their face, some had their heads down on their tables, some of them kept moving their knee up and down, some of them had their mouths slightly open like idiots, and some secretly texted their pals, holding their cell phones under the table.

Then there was Dylan. She sat slouched in her seat and absentmindedly chewed the top of her pink pen as she eyed the clock intensely. Just seven more minutes until calculus was over and it would be time for lunch. Like every other student in the class, she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Unable to understand a single Russian word coming out of the teacher's mouth as he scribbled numbers and symbols on the board, it was especially irritating for the blonde; it just sounded like _racket_.

Minutes of agony ticked by, each and every student tensing up more before finally..._RIIING_!

Immediately the classroom resembled Hurricane Katrina as the silence disappeared and everyone began talking at once to their respective companions, tossing textbooks and stationary into their backpacks and running to make an exit.

Instead of heading for the cafeteria, she left the school grounds to hunt down a KFC. The Coke and cookies Tala had 'packed' her for 'lunch', if you could even call it that, she'd thrown away as soon as she got to school. The two things didn't even go well together. Either her brother was mentally retarded in the head or he was a really big jerk. Her guess was both.

Not wanting to wander off too far from school due to lack of time and unable to find a Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dylan settled for McDonald's. Any recognizable fast food franchise would be better than something local for her taste buds. She grimaced at the long line up but decided to suck it up and wait anyway; she was kind of craving those signature salty fries and that Mac sauce.

As the line shrunk, she proceeded to pull her wallet out of her bag, annoyed that her keychain and iPod earphones had tangled up with the buckle of her wallet. She fiddled around, managing to detach the earphones but ran out of time to do the same with the tiny American flag keychain, and thus let it dangle around, putting it off until after she made her order.

She made her way to the cash register and the man behind it instinctively eyed her before his gaze shifted to the wallet in her hands. The strange part about this was his eyes never came off it. The blonde couldn't help but smirk with pride, any woman would have; after all, it was a completely authentic Burberry wallet with a price tag of over 400 dollars.

The American eyed the menu, "Can I please get -"

"We don't have,"

Dylan gave the man behind the counter a strange look, "I didn't even tell you what I want yet,"

"What you want, we do not have," The Russian leaned over a little with furrowed brows, "Do you understand?"

**x x x**

In a subdued manner, Kai turned the page of the book. He had finally gotten around to giving _Secret Daughter_ a try and so far he wasn't 'really liking this one' like Hilary had said he would. He eyed another book on his bedside table, one about the expanding universe, contemplating whether to just go for the trade. Novels for him were just plain boring and indescribably pointless. If he felt the need to hear a good story, he'd turn to a movie with lots of explosions and action, not a 200-page paperback with a sappy storyline that a female would dig.

As he read a few more lines of torture, he could hear a car pull up in their driveway. Looking over at the time told him it must have been Tala getting Dylan home from school. Knowing his day of tranquility had just come to an utter end, Kai let the book rest on his chest and opted to close his eyes for a bit, taking in the last few milliseconds of peace.

_"Take your shoes off, retard, you're getting snow everywhere,"_

_"Your face is retarded,"_

And so began the 'retarded' insults between the siblings. No pun intended. After a couple of more minutes, the slate haired blader went back to his book, getting through a few more pages before his bedroom door was rudely opened.

"Get out,"

Instead of his order being obeyed, he felt the blonde jog towards his bed, hop on, and climb onto him. She'd changed out of her school uniform, now dressed in sweats. No, don't picture the big baggy sweats with an oversized tee; that just wasn't her style and he couldn't picture her in such either. It was a tracksuit sweat, black pants with pink hemming, _PINK_ written on the ass in, well, pink, and a corresponding black hoodie that she had zipped up half way revealing a fitted white tank top underneath and a black bra, only visible if he looked real hard.

She grinned before raising a brow and reaching for the book, "What the heck is this?"

"A book, smart one," He replied indifferently, "Leave,"

"Secret Daughter?" She read the title out loud before flipping it over to read the summary on the back. As she did, her face scrunched up, "Why are _you _reading _this_?"

"It's for Hilary,"

"You're giving this to her?"

"She gave it to me,"

"Like...seriously?" She eyed the book pathetically before tossing it over to the side and rolling her eyes, "I can come up with a _way_ better story,"

"Good for you. Now get out of my room and leave me be,"

"It's about this slave girl named Dylan and this insanely gorgeous guy named Kai. He drives a silver BMW M3," She paused, "No wait. It's a black and orange Beamer; black hood, black side fenders, black top, black trunk. The rest is orange. It's supercharged, low-riding, with 19 inch black rims. So one day he's in his garage working on his car and since this story is taking place in California and it's hot, he's shirtless, sweaty, and covered in his car's engine grease. Anyways, so then his slave comes along with some lemonade and she's wearing – " She stopped briefly, looking over at him, "What's your favourite colour, hun?"

"None of your business,"

"Well I'm just going to go ahead and _assume _its blue. So Dylan's wearing blue lingerie; the part covering her goods up top is a lace material, the rest is completely see-through so he can see the matching thong she's got on. Oh, and silver high heels. It's what Kai makes her wear so it's easier for him to punish her when she's not up to his standards. So she finally approaches Kai and says, 'here you go, master'. He takes a sip and spits it out and yells 'you call this lemonade?'," She made a puppy face and continued, "She didn't make the lemonade right. It wasn't sweet enough. So he gets mad and throws her on the hood of his M3 and holds her hands above her head like this," She motioned, "Slave Dylan is all scared and stuff, telling him to stop and that she's sorry, but nuh uh. He rips the panties right off her and says 'spread your legs, bitch' and then he punishes her _real_ good. The end. What do you think, Kai?"

"Hn," The bluenette remained impassive, unimpressed by her 'story', "I'm not into fiction,"

She moved closer, barely an inch away from his face, biting her bottom lip as she stared at him. Jesus, why was she looking at him like that? Specifically his lips. He held her gaze too, but unlike her, he looked pretty damn annoyed. What the heck did she _want _from him? After the kind of 'fantasy' she had just verbalized, Kai could only fearfully guess, "That wasn't fiction, sweetheart," And that pretty much confirmed his guess. Pssh...like that was _ever _going to happen. He wouldn't even touch the slut from ten yards away with a meter long stick. A girl like her, who knew where she'd 'been'?

Sure, she was good to look at and he wasn't going to deny the obvious fact, but she was the type of girl that guys would die to eff-you-see-kay for a night with the lights on and then leave – or make her leave – in the morning. That was the difference between Dylan and Hilary. Both were undeniably beautiful women but one was a corrupted little skank while the other was more a wifey type.

She left his room shortly after and a couple of hours later it was time for dinner for the Blitzkrieg Boys. The meal was mac and cheese – take a wild guess as to who tonight's chef was – and the conversation was random. It was during this time that Tala handed over to Dylan what Mr. Dickenson had left for her. She picked up the card, grinning as she skimmed over the contents while Spencer leaned over as well, "This invitation admits one guest," He was quick to point out.

Understanding what he was getting at, Dylan pushed out her bottom lip, giving the big Russian blader a sympathetic look, "Oh, hun, I'm so sorry but I already have a date for this event. But next time," She winked, rubbing his arm, "I'll take you with me."

**x x x**

Mathilda fought to keep her eyes open as she lay on her bed, the television in her hotel room on, airing a movie that Miguel, Aaron, and Claude seemed consumed in. The pinkette reached for her cell phone, sliding it open to display the time: only 7:45 PM. Ugh. This was ridiculous. She sat up, "Can we please watch something else, you guys?"

"Shh!" Claude gestured.

"This is the best part in The Godfather," Miguel added in a whisper.

The hedgehog frowned; her teammates were good people and great friends but that didn't change the fact that they were still _guys_. She was beginning to grow tired of the same old, same old: the toilet seat being left up all the time, old and smelly socks littering the room, lame and stupid – sometimes dirty – jokes that they thought were funny, loud snoring at night keeping her awake. She needed something more than just to be stuck with three boys all the time.

Pocketing her phone, she hopped off her bed, "I'm going out for a while," She let them know before leaving the room. Where she was going, she didn't know. It was too cold outside to go for a walk, hot chocolate at a cafe was never fun by yourself, and by now the malls were probably closed.

She found herself in the elevator, heading up a few floors to Miriam's. Miriam was older, mature, neutral, very easy to talk to, and overall like the sister she never had. How they'd gotten close, Mathilda couldn't remember, but she was thankful for the Saint Shield blader. She strolled towards the door but was taken aback when the door swung open before she even knocked. A dressed up Miriam had the same reaction, one hand to her chest as if to express relief, "You scared me, Mathilda!"

"Sorry," The younger girl apologized before taking note of the bluenette's not so casual outfit, "Are you going out?"

"Yeah," Miriam nodded, "I'm going out for dinner with the girls,"

"The girls?"

"Hilary, Mariah, Salima, and Emily," She detailed, "They had breakfast this morning with Julia so they made plans for dinner with me,"

"Oh..."

"Did you need something?"

"No, I just..." Mathilda let out a sigh, "I was just bored,"

"Oh," Miriam gave the girl a warm look, "I would have asked you to come but we made reservations for just five people,"

Instantly Mathilda shook her head, flashing a smile, "No, no, it's okay. I mean I'm not close with any of them anyway and they're all older than me. You go ahead, have fun!"

Miriam chuckled, "Thanks, babe. If I come home early, I'll drop by and chat with you for a while, okay?"

"Alright," The pink haired girl stepped away, "Thanks."

* * *

**Julia/Tala/Mariah and Dylan and the text messages.** Some people have talked about this in their reviews. Keep in mind that when Julia's text message came in, Dylan read it first and then there was a line that said 'Dylan absentmindedly drummed her fingers on the phone for a couple of seconds before **smirking and composing a brand new text message**'. And the very next scene was Mariah supposedly getting messages from Tala. READ BETWEEN THE LINES! Even for the McDonald's scene in this chapter, I don't know if people will _understand_ what was going on there.

**Bra Size.** I am a 32DD. It should really be 30 for me but no one makes anything smaller than a 32 so I usually have to sew up the sides a little more.

**xoxo to the following:**

**Waffles – **No, I'm not a blonde! Yes, I wish I had blonde hair! I have black hair and b/c I'm Bengali, I can't dye my hair blonde either lol it would never go with my skin tone. For me, there's just something incredibly sexy and alluring about blondes. I go nuts for blonde men. Paul Walker...DROOLAGE!

**Tanzy – **The lamest thing a guy has ever done to pick me up? Hmm, there's so many I can't pinpoint a single one and so I'll just resort to the one that happened last night: I was craving some chocolate so I went to the grocery store by my building and as I'm walking in, a guy approaches me, walks WITH me and goes 'Hey, I see you all the time', and I'm like 'Oh...okay'. At this point I'm kind of creeped out; it was dark out, it was snowing, and the guy was creepy himself. Then he goes 'Yeah, I see you at the subway station all the time and there's always guys looking at you and I stop them' and again, I'm like 'O...kay...' not knowing what else to say. He went on and on for a good 10 mins and I was an idiot to stand there in the cold for that long too, listening to him. Then a security guard comes out of the grocery store and asks what's up and what's going on and the man ran away lol. Strange people...

**xxz0eyxx – **OMG! WE HAVE THE SAME BRA SIZE! Okay, I have to ask you...do you LIKE being this size? I mean it's great sometimes lol but nothing fits right! I'm usually an extra small in t-shirts and stuff, but they never fit my boob area! Omg, so frustrating!

**Peroxxide Priincess **

**SongOfTheShadows**

**Inside the Box – **OMG! You are an amazing reviewer! I can't believe you took the time to give me that many reviews, thanks so much! I'm really glad you – and the others – like Dylan (well, as much as you CAN like her). I know what you mean when you say it's hard to find a good OC story (before when the fandom was prosperous and even now); I find this is b/c the OCs are either too NORMAL or too SAD with a 'BAD PAST' and all that shizz. BORING! And my stories and OCs are based off real life.

**SouthernDragon – **All will be revealed soon!

**Crying Sorceress **

**Just a girl**

**AriOnE – **Hope you enjoyed the Kai/Dylan part in this chapter :P Don't worry, there's a LOT more to come. About DLS, I TRY to write it but it's so hard b/c the chapters are so long! I don't know WHEN I'll update, but I do try to write up the chapters!

**The Master of the Hobos **


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

Loosening up the scarf around her neck, Miriam walked down the corridor until reaching Barthez Battalion's room. Holding a paper bag in one hand, she knocked on the door using the other and was greeted in a matter of seconds by the blonde team captain, "Hey Miguel," The bluenette acknowledged as well, "Is Mathilda here?"

Nodding, Miguel welcomed her in and Miriam found the pinkette lying down on her bed. The fact that she wasn't in her PJs told the older girl Mathilda hadn't actually gone to sleep for the night, but just dozed off for a couple of minutes.

Leaving the paper bag on the small bedside table, Miriam playfully tickled Mathilda awake, having the girl sit up at once laughing and trying to shove her hands away, "Well I told you I might be coming over after dinner with the girls," The Saint Shield defended, "And I brought you some dessert," She added, pulling the bag she had set aside, knocking over the hedgehog's cell phone in the process. A random button was hit on the phone bringing up the messages window.

Miriam bent down and picked it up, surprised by the one name that filled up her inbox. She raised a brow as she held it out for Mathilda, "Wow, I had no idea you were so close to Tala,"

"What? Oh, no, no," The pink haired girl shook her head quickly, "That's Dylan. She uses his phone because her parents disconnected her line,"

"I see," Miriam sat on the edge of the bed while taking the contents out of the paper bag – a slice of rich chocolate cake, more than enough for just the two of them, "You seem pretty close to her," She added as she handed out a spoon.

"Nah," Mathilda denied as she dug in, "I don't know why she talks to me,"

"Maybe she likes you,"

"I don't think so, not a girl like her. I mean look at her and look at me: we're completely different, like alpha and beta. And anyway, she's just using me,"

"Oh yeah? Why do you say that?"

"_Everyone _says that,"

"Well," Miriam licked some icing off her spoon, "Do you like her?"

Mathilda wrinkled her nose, "What do you mean? Like a les -"

"I meant as a friend, you bum!" Miriam laughed.

"But we're not friends,"

"Do you guys text each other?"

"Yeah,"

"Do you guys talk on the phone?"

"Sometimes, yeah,"

"Do you guys go out together?"

"She took me out a few times,"

"Do you guys go over to each other's places?"

"She comes over a lot. What's with the questions, Miriam?"

"Last one: do you guys tell each other stuff that no one else knows about? Kind of like about her little _date_ with Hiwatari?" As subtle as Mathilda had tried to act, her baby pink eyes widening and a slight gasp had given it away. Miriam chuckled, "First of all, that makes you two friends. Second, don't worry I haven't said anything to anybody and I never will; it's not my business. I just saw them together at a restaurant, that's all,"

Mathilda looked relieved, "Not even Hilary or Mariah or _anyone_?"

"Nope. It's not my thing to tell. But I will say she's playing with fire," Miriam paused, "_Literally_."

**x x x**

Friday had finally rolled by. But for the Blitzkrieg Boys it wasn't time to welcome the weekend. At least not yet. They had a match today and because most of the new teams had gotten eliminated from the tournament, the Russian team was to face off against the well known Psykicks. After their set, the line up was as follows: Barthez Battalion facing The Majestics, and lastly, world champion team BBA Revolution squaring off with the Saint Shields.

After talking up strategies the Blitzkrieg Boys headed out of their locker room and benched themselves in the stadium. The Psykicks were there too, on the opposite side of course, whispering things into each others' ears, perhaps game plans. But the battle couldn't begin yet, not without the BBA cheerleaders opening up the show.

The DJ aired the cheer mix, cuing for the girls' entrance. The 2 to 3 minute mix was made up of tidbits of several songs: Missy Elliot's _Work It_, Timabaland and JT's _Bounce_, Ciara's _Ride It_, Kesha's _Blah Blah Blah_, a crap load more of super suggestive songs and a few girl anthems to even things out. The foul language was beeped out, not that that did anything since everyone knew the lyrics anyway. Furthermore, the bleeps were made up for it by explicit dance moves. The girls were smart, however; the provocative moves like butt popping and chest popping were subtle and quick, and immediately covered up by normal dancing and cheer routines.

This way offended viewers and angry parents – who really irresponsibly left their six year old in front of the TV unsupervised – couldn't complain.

The reaction from most men consisted of a piece of drool dangling from the lip and a slight bulge forming in the crotch area by the performance, like Spencer, or just a really big perverted grin on their face, like Ian.

A guy like Kai, however, remained unresponsive with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed. He came here to beyblade, win, and secure a spot to face off against Tyson, not watch a bunch of skan- _girls_ shake their thang. The BBA had changed quite a bit since a few years ago; it had turned more materialistic like every other industry. Before, cheerleaders in the BBA ceased to exist, and now they had become a 'vital' part for the tournaments, given a heavy emphasis for promotional purposes, _not_ for the 'beyblading spirit' crap that the media tried to force down everyone's throat.

The blue haired blader knew he wasn't the only one who found it unnecessary and stupid; he found other serious athletes in the audience such as Robert, Lee, some of the female beybladers, and even a guy like Garland with delicate frowns, discontent that this is what the BBA had come to.

As the garbage came to an end Kai opened his eyes, catching the last seconds of the show that comprised of a couple of _twigs_ being thrown upward and then landing on their feet with their hands raised in the air, a grin plastered on every one of their faces.

"_Wowza_!" Announcer AJ Topper's voice echoed across the arena, "Thank you for the wonderful performance ladies!" He went on while the girls began making their exit. Except for one. Furrowed slate brows focused on the cheer captain, wondering why she was smirking at him. He found out when she turned around, two fingers pointing to the back of her cheerleading shirt showing him the 'alteration' she had made to her uniform: in capital white letters, _HIWATARI_ was stitched across. She looked over her shoulder and winked before cat walking off like she was the shit while the announcer had quickly commented on the circumstance, "And looks like Kai of the Blitzkrieg Boys has a very religious fan!"

The real deal commenced at last, the Psykicks sending up their captain Kane while Kai went up to represent his team. They were counted down and as soon as the beyblades hit the dish, the crowd grew louder, some cheering for one blader, others for the other. Kane was a good beyblader and had become even better throughout the years.

But just not good enough for the phoenix. Needless to say, Kai had won his round and a win followed by Tala had put their team in victory against the Psykicks, ending their set and beginning the second one. Barthez Battalion emerged from the corridors into the spotlight. In the midst of all the yelling and commotion, Mathilda managed to catch a glimpse of Dylan. She stood by the sidelines among the other cheerleaders and with both hands on her hips, her lips curved into a massive grin.

The pinkette appeared confused. Had Miguel and Dylan made eye contact and that smile was for him? Though Miguel wasn't entirely fond of the blonde's character, he still expressed an attraction towards her physical appearance and Mathilda was very well aware of her team captain's good looks too. Then again, badass Johnny and heartthrob Enrique of the Majestics had a rather large female fan base as well, as the other cheerleaders were clearly expressing. But a closer look told the hedgehog that Dylan hadn't even noticed Miguel, Johnny, or Enrique and that she wasn't looking at them, she was looking at her.

Uncertain pink orbs stared into turquoise ones. What in the world did she want from her? It couldn't be anything good. Mathilda trusted the rather intelligent Miriam but Miriam didn't _know _Dylan; under all that gorgeous blonde hair that gave off a pristine and angelic vibe was utter unpleasantness.

But even so, Mathilda couldn't help but find herself drawn towards the Californian. What it was about the blonde, she didn't know and maybe she'd never know, but there was just _something_ about her...something very alluring, fascinating, and forbidden.

Something Mathilda just couldn't get enough of.

Dylan was like a bad boyfriend: no matter how much your friends told you to get rid of him, you weren't able to let go.

"Ready?"

The pink haired girl snapped out of it as her captain put a friendly hand on her shoulder. She nodded at Miguel before looking back at Dylan, giving the blonde a shy smile and a slight wave and prepared for her battle. Meanwhile, the Blitzkrieg Boys lingered in their locker room until the end of the beyblading event. There was no point in watching the battle; they could already predict the outcome: the Majestics would whoop Barthez Battalions' ass and BBA Revolution would of course, without a miniscule doubt, take the cake for their match against the Saint Sheilds.

Truth be told, they'd go home right after their battle if they could but with Dylan on the cheer team, she had to stay, which in turn meant Tala had to wait, resulting in the entire team to stick around. When she finally showed up, the team, instead of heading home, ended up at a restaurant for lunch. They were seated at a rectangular booth, Bryan, Ian, and Kai on one side – the bluenette had escaped from the blonde once again – and Tala, Dylan, and Spencer on the other. Whereas the guys had all ordered something meaty, fatty, and greasy, the cheer captain had opted for a plate of salmon and rice. Conversation topics ranged from today's battle to the size of the girl's tatas at the next table to what to do tonight.

"I'm going out," Dylan was first to respond, "To that thing Mr. Dickenson organized for me and the girls,"

"So..." Casually taking a sip of his drink, Spencer threw in an enquiry, "Who's your date?"

Putting her cutlery down, the blonde smirked, "He's sitting at this table," And before Kai could send the girl a frightening glare as if to say 'you wish, hoe', he was surprised when instead she looked towards the redhead in indication. Immediately Bryan chuckled while the other teammates offered their own kinds of stunned reactions.

Tala rolled his eyes and provided a sarcastic remark, "Fucking hilarious,"

"And fucking true," Dylan claimed and as he raised a brow, she nodded, "Yeah. I figured since you have no social life and you're always hanging around these _people_," She tauntingly looked over at the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys in reference before looking back at the redhead, "you need a change. And," She then raised one hand as if to surrender, "I'm calling a ceasefire between us,"

Tala laughed out loud before proceeding to read her like a book, "You're sucking up and there's only two times when people suck up: when they need something or when they've screwed up real bad,"

"Well I'm always open to money or your credit card," She provided, "But in all honesty, I don't need anything and I didn't mess up. I just think it's time you and I finally get along. I know you're a little retarded and all but I'm willing to work with that. Stop being paranoid, I'm trying to be nice,"

She sounded sincere. And that's what was wrong with the picture. Tala knew Dylan. He _really_ knew her. He knew she wouldn't just randomly waste her 'admit one guest' invitation on _him_ of all people for no reason.

"And would you really rather spend your Friday night at home doing nothing and being bored or go out with like 15 really hot girls, throw back a couple of drinks, and have fun?" She continued to market her offer before making a conclusion for him, "I'm taking you out tonight, loser," A smile graced her lips, "So wear something cute,"

"Okay," Much to the rest of the guys' shock, Tala had agreed, "I'll go." But only because he had incentives of his own. He didn't exactly know what the bitch was up to this time but if she was playing him, he'd play her back. He wasn't going to let his _younger_ sister fuck around with him. He'd set her straight.

That night, after throwing on some jeans and a casual black tee, he lay on his bed playing Brick Breaker on his Blackberry while Dylan finished getting ready. She'd gone for a fitted bubblegum pink minidress paired with nude sandals. With a dress in such a vibrant colour, she really hadn't accessorized much, let alone at all; some pearl earrings and a small black clutch was all she had. After watching her line her eyes and swiping on a coat or two of mascara, Tala waited for her to flip her hair over and hastily finger comb the roots to restore volume, something she always did at the very end of getting ready, whether it was for school or any outing.

He got up as if on cue while the blonde put her coat on. Seconds later they were in the Supra, the redhead following the directions written on the back of the invite, pulling up to the upscale restaurant's parking lot. The host greeted them and examined the ticket she had, admitting him as her guest before finally leading them over to the reserved table for the BBA cheerleaders. Though most of them had brought guests, whether it was a boyfriend or a friend, Tala couldn't help but notice – and feel – how his mere presence had whisked away all the girls' attentions.

"Enjoying the spotlight, hun?"

Of course. "Don't really give a fuck," And as the eyes of angry, jealous, and insecure boyfriends bored into him, he simply picked up the menu and began reading over it. He nodded when Dylan informed him she was heading to the washroom with the rest of the cheer squad. In the meantime he ordered a drink for himself and observed his surroundings. However chic, the restaurant was a loud one and entirely packed. There seemed to be a business party of some sort at another table, a birthday party at another, a girls' night out at different one, and all the seats at the bar area were taken.

Perhaps coming out wasn't such a bad idea.

**x x x**

Dylan held the door open until the girls had all piled in, "Okay sluts," She closed the door and stood facing the group, taking some time to study everyone, "Anyone of Spanish, Filipino, Malaysian, Cuban, Brazilian, or Chilean ethnicity, step forward," Confusion arose for a couple of minutes before a few girls of said description came forward. Content, Dylan continued, "If you're a C-cup or above, move up," And thus a second division was made from the first group as four cheerleaders remained, "Turn around, bitches," She ordered and proceeded to inspect their behind, "Too much ass," She evaluated the first girl and moved to the next, "Too _little_ ass," She made a face before taking a good look at the last two, "Not bad, workable," She deduced prior to making the final cut, "Now, which one of you two are on your period?"

The two girls eyed each other until one of them made the confession, "Mine just started,"

Dylan smirked, "Coolness. You win a date with Tala," As commotion began with the other girls, the blonde snapped her fingers a few times to silence the crowd, "Shut up," She instructed and glanced over at the chosen on, "So Ronald McDonald's all yours' tonight. Touch him, tease him, talk to him, _play_ with him,"

Though thrilled with her prize, the girl wrinkled her nose, "Okay...and what did me being on my period have anything to do with this?"

The captain rolled her eyes as if the reasoning was the most obvious in the world, "So that you can't have sex with him."

**x x x**

Halfway through his drink, Tala noticed his sister return to the table with the rest of the girls from their little washroom trip. Instead of taking her seat beside him right away, she socialized with some of the other girls and their guests on the other end of the table for a couple of minutes. And her vacant seat seemed to give one of the cheerleaders an opportunity to sit beside him.

"Hi!" The girl greeted with a grin, her head slightly tilted to the side.

The redhead only nodded in acknowledgment. He didn't need to be bigheaded to know she was fully hitting on him. And cheerleaders just weren't his thing. Nonetheless, this one was pretty damn hot. Dark hair done in big relaxed curls, slightly oriental eyes giving away her Filipino background, faintly tanned skin giving her that exotic vibe, and she had the bam-bam factor: a nice rack and a nice booty.

"I'm Estelle," She introduced herself, "I've been a huge fan of the Blitzkrieg Boys since way before the name change and line-up and everything,"

"Yeah?" He wasn't _entirely _committed to anyone at the moment, she was cute, and a little verbal flirting was harmless, "A fan of any member in particular?"

Estelle stuck out her tongue enticingly and he chuckled. Soon dinner was served based on what everyone had ordered, but in truth, there was more mingling and talking at the table than eating. And more drinking than anything else. All of the guys had agreed to order a few pitchers of beer while the girls had opted for martinis, margaritas, or cocktails, and with strict ID-ing rules – Mr. Dickenson had picked this place with much consideration – Dylan and everyone else underage were denied alcohol. While some were bothered by this, the blonde seemed to be just fine with her Shirley Temple. Glass in hand, she scooted over to the redhead, "So we're planning to go clubbing after,"

"No," Tala was quick to reject.

"How come?" Estelle chimed in, "It'll be fun, promise,"

"And _everyone's_ going," Added Dylan, fishing for approval.

The redhead did a quick mental evaluation. So far everything had gone unusually normal, a sign that maybe, just maybe, his sister had actually _genuinely_ invited him out tonight without any schemes. And besides, between going home now and playing Halo with Kai or staying out a little longer with a fantastic view of Estelle's cleavage, he chose the latter, "Fine," He permitted and paused as the blonde exclaimed an excited 'yes!' before continuing, "But we're going home by 2 AM; I have training in the morning."

With the dinner tab under Mr. Dickenson's credit card, the group, now consisting of tipsy girls and rowdy guys, headed to a lively club. Everyone waited in line, IDs – real and fake – and cover money – and bribe money – in hand.

"Smile, retard," The redhead heard the blonde say as she leaned in towards him, camera held outward and slightly above, the flash indicating the picture had been taken.

Once inside the bass-blaring club, everyone had taken off to the bar to juice up some more. With several bills in hand, Tala looked down at Estelle, "What do you want?"

"Gin and tonic, please,"

The Blitzkrieg Boy nodded before glancing over at his sister, "You want anything?" He raised a brow when she shook her head in decline. Shrugging it off, he ordered a Corona for himself and a gin and tonic for the girl. It was when his drink was done he was surprised as another one was pushed towards him.

Dylan winked, "It's on me," And so was the next round, and the one after that, and after that. Thirteenth beer in, he'd pretty much forgot about the curfew he'd set for himself or even being a sober driver for that matter, and besides, shots of 151 and feeling up Elise or Elsa – or whatever the hell her name was – was way more fun.

* * *

**Regarding the last chapter.** Only ONE reviewer was able to guess correctly what the McDonald's scene was about! Hint: "_As the line shrunk, she proceeded to pull her wallet out of her bag, annoyed that her keychain and iPod earphones had tangled up with the buckle of her wallet. She fiddled around, managing to detach the earphones but ran out of time to do the same with the tiny American flag keychain, and thus let it dangle around, putting it off until after she made her order_".

**SORRY!** I know it's been forever! I worked on this chapter EVERYDAY! On top of that, I had a shit load of boy drama. Read below if you wanna know about it, if not, skip over to the 'thanks'!

**Boy drama.**Where do I even begin? As some of you know, I've technically been seeing two guys (we will refer to them as J and A; J is my ex, A is the new guy). J and I have been fighting every single damn day, this guy is annoying the shit out of me and literally eating my brains. The scary part is I _know_ he does it on purpose. I think he gets some kind of sick pleasure out of it. And I'm completely turned off by him at this point. I've avoided him for a while and proceeded to completely cut him out of my life for the past three or so days.

This is where A comes in. Things with A have been SO great! We've gone out consistently a few times now, he tried to teach me how to play pool (...and a co-worker saw me with him...), we went out for movies, dinner, drinks, this guy makes me laugh with every other thing that comes out of his mouth. In addition, my bro (remember, this guy is my brother's best friend's older brother) found out, freaked the hell out, but I think he's getting used to it too now. My parents like A, my friends like A, my co-workers like A, and I like A!

**Job.** I quit La Senza! I now work at Bell. Canadians, you know what this is lol...Americans – and everyone else – this is a Canadian cell phone service provider (as well as TV, home phone, internet, etc).

**What have you guys been up to?**Let me know! And write long reviews! I like them! LOL!

**Thank you to...**

**AriOnE**

**xxz0eyxx – **I've had blonde high lights! But my hair was getting really blah so this time I've let my natural hair grow out! Omg, so much healthier! Haha!

**Inside the Box – **Man! I love reading your reviews! Don't be sorry for the long ones, I really, really, really enjoy reading long ones! Tell me about the chapter, tell me about your life! LOL! I'm being honest!

**Urduja – **Hey! I'm sorry I haven't replied to your message! I'll try to message you tmr!

**LOL – **Pretty much :P

**Waffles **

**Ifallupthestairsxx – **You know what? You are really smart. Really, really, really smart! Lol that's all I'm gonna say lmao haha. Thanks for the review!


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT**

Roughly 3 in the morning, Mathilda was rudely awakened by the vibration of her cell phone from the side table. Cracking an eye open, she grabbed her phone quickly to prevent waking up the rest of her team. Sliding the phone open, she found a picture message from Tala.

Well, it was really from Dylan.

Viewing the incriminating picture of the redhead with some chick off the cheerleading team, she gasped and put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter before quickly giving the blonde a reply: _ur so mean lmao omg talas gonna kill u hahaha._

**x x x**

Nodding her head to the music, Dylan pushed through the crowd, clutch in one hand, Blackberry in the other. She passed by a drunken Ming-Ming grinding up on some guy, the rest of the cheerleaders all scattered about the club in technically the same condition. The blonde made her way over to the redhead, who seemed to be enjoying his time with Estelle a _little _too much. Rolling her eyes, she stood by the two, "Time to go home," She announced.

One hand still on the girl's ass, Tala gave his sister a dirty look, "Fuck you,"

Astonished, Dylan raised a brow, "Excuse me?" As he continued to spit out more random curse words, she ignored him and proceeded to physically pull him by the arm, ripping him away from dark haired girl. Other than random loss of balance, it was pretty easy to control the rather trashed redhead.

"She likes me," He pointed behind him drunkenly, referring to Estelle, "What's the time?"

"3-something," She exited the club and strolled towards the parked cars before holding her palm out, "Keys, sweetheart,"

"What for?" Despite the enquiry, he'd given it to her, "You gon' drive or something?" He asked as she pushed him into the passenger seat of the Toyota Supra, "Yo fuck this shit, man, she likes me,"

"Shut up, fugly," She slammed the door shut and walked around the car to get to the driver's seat. Putting the key in the ignition, she used the GPS app on his Blackberry to get directions on how to get home.

"Why we goin' home so early?" He complained, "And I can drive, man, look at me,"

"Yeah, I'm looking," She shook her head in annoyance and pulled out of the parking spot carefully. There was snow, but thankfully not as much as last time and the roads had been cleaned off, thus making the drive a little less panicky.

**x x x**

As the clock hit 4 AM, a grim expression plastered over Bryan's face. The rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys held the same reaction, all of them lounging around the living room waiting for their team captain's return. They weren't ones to worry – especially with Tala – but this time they had a number of reasons to: Dylan inviting him in the first place was sketchy enough, the dinner Mr. Dickenson had set up had ended at around 11 PM, all the calls that they made to him he had ignored, something he hardly did; he'd at least text back. On top of that, they were scheduled for training – in three hours – and the redhead knew better than to stay out _this_ late. And given their history with the Abbey and Boris, their concern was valid.

"I'll try him again," Ian broke the silence but when he lowered the phone from his ear and shook his head, the team tensed up more.

"You think something happened?" Spencer asked the group.

"I'll be back," Kai retreated from the wall, picking his car keys off the coffee table. It was his way of informing his team that he was going to go and look for his companion, "Call if anything," He added, ready to head out the door but paused when he heard Willow Smith's _Whip My Hair_ from a car outside, and as it got closer, eventually pulling into their driveway, the four exchanged glances. They heard car doors open and close until finally the main door opened up, the scene before them an interesting one.

Standing behind him and with her arms under his arms and around, Dylan pulled inside a wasted and passed out Tala. Bits of snow covered his jeans, an indication that she had literally dragged him straight from the car and over their front yard, to home. She dropped him nonchalantly and closed the main door before stepping over the redhead's lifeless body and making her way towards the stairs.

"Hold on," Bryan got up, his brows furrowed at the blonde, "What's this?"

"What's what?"

"All _this_," He loosely moved a hand left to right, signifying the events of the whole night, "Why were our calls ignored? Why is he drunk? What's going on?"

"I'm really not in the mood to answer stupid questions right now, hun; I'm tired," Replied the blonde with a non-caring yawn and as she progressed towards the stairs, Bryan's last nerve was snapped.

"Listen, you fucking American piece of shit,"

She froze mid step in shock, slowly glancing over her, "What?"

"You heard me,"

Before any awkward division could take place within the room – not that there wasn't one already – Ian and Spencer immediately rushed in, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

"That's not cool, Bryan," Ian noted, "Come on, man," His eyes landed on Dylan, "Go to your room,"

The blonde fumed and trekked up the stairs with her arms crossed but once she got to the top, she looked back, eyes narrowed at Bryan, "Racist son of a bitch," She spat before slamming her bedroom door shut.

**x x x**

Coming out of the washroom still dressed in her PJs and her hair up in a high ponytail on this Saturday morning, Hilary frowned as she walked by the breakfast table; bread crumbs all over the surface, jam stains, and none of the guys had bothered to put their plates in the sink.

She rolled her eyes, debating whether to clean it up or make Tyson, Daichi, and Kenny clean up after their mess, selecting the second as she dumped herself in front of her laptop. She bit into an apple as she mindlessly signed onto Facebook. After looking at her own profile, writing something corny on Mariah's wall, she resorted to boringly go through the updates on the homepage. There was really nothing interesting, just the random status updates and such until one thing in particular had caught her eye:

**_Ming-Ming Love_**_ was tagged in **Dylan Ivanov**'s album_.

Of course, she didn't have Dylan on her friend's list but the album was viewable. Shrugging at no one in particular, Hilary clicked the link and went through the pictures. The first pictures were at a restaurant, some posed for, some candid, and a few silly ones. The brunette was especially surprised to see Tala part of the event as she passed by a picture of him and Dylan, the redhead looking plainly into the lens with a sideways peace sign, the blonde sticking out a bit of her tongue naively. Despite the uncountable contrasts between them, a stranger would have been able to label them siblings with the eerie identicalness of their eyes. The colour, the subtle flecks of black, the thick darker ring around the blue giving false impression of contacts – they were the _exact_ same.

The brunette finally clicked the next button, getting through most of the pictures: Ming-Ming and Dylan, Dylan and the other girls, Tala being pretty effing dirty with some girl off the cheerleading team, Ming-Ming taking a shot of teq –

Hilary did a double take, quickly clicking the back button several times. "What the f..." She leaned in a little closer as if to get a better look. Pictures of the girl shaking her butt on the redhead's crotch, pictures of his hands all over the girl, her hands grazing his...well, you know...and pictures of them making out, kissing the crap out of each other it seemed, all of them resembling soft corn porn, really, and all of them resurrecting the Blitzkrieg Boys' player – _jerk_ – status.

**x x x**

Tala stirred in his sleep, groaning at the sick feeling that greeted him. He put an arm over his eyes for a couple of seconds before reaching for his blanket to fight off the bitter cold. Instead, his bare hands were met with the tiles of the floor. Muttering some sort of swear word, he lifted his head up slowly and found himself waking up on the floor, right by the main door. Too hung over for any kind of reaction, he buried his face into his arm. He stayed that way until he couldn't hold in his piss any longer.

He got up carefully, rubbing his face as he strolled into the kitchen. He ignored his teammates – Ian on his laptop, Spencer beside him looking at the contents on the screen, Kai on his iPhone a seat away, Bryan at the other end of the kitchen rearranging the fridge – and headed to the washroom, not bothering to close the door as he unzipped and took a leak. After that, he deposited himself at the dining table, head down, hoping for someone to get him a glass of water or juice.

Ian had finally put in his two cents, "Man, you were messed up last night,"

And this morning. "What time is it?" The redhead enquired, "We going for training?"

"We already did," Spencer said, "9 hours ago,"

Tala's head shot up as he wrinkled his nose at his blonde teammate before checking the time on his Blackberry: 4:07 PM. Shock of the time subsided and was replaced by curiosity as he found his entire recent calls history filled with missed calls from Julia as well as several BBM messages. They started off with simple _call me_'s to things like _stop fucking ignoring me_ and finally to something along the lines of _you have a small dick_ – even though she'd never seen his before – but in more words and with very unladylike profanity. "O...kay..." He didn't bother going through her other messages, "Well Julia's pissed,"

"She has reason to," Bryan tossed out some food that nobody was going to ever eat.

"No she doesn't," Ian disagreed, "Women are always emotional and shit," He rolled his eyes and looked over at the redhead, "Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. That Filipino chick was _fine_ as hell. I'm proud of you,"

"Proud of him?" Spencer laughed mockingly, "He didn't even tap the bitch. _Fail_,"

Though most of what happened last night would forever remain a mystery, Tala recalled the 'Filipino chick'. He talked to her over dinner, had a few drinks with her at the club, pretty much it, no?

"Who cares? He hooked up with her,"

Spencer shook his head, "That's not a hook up. A hook up counts when you get head,"

"Are you dumb?"

"Are you?"

"Guys," The short blader glanced at the other three Blitzkrieg Boys for support, "Define hook up,"

"Head,"

"Head,"

"Pussy,"

Ian sighed in defeat, "Guess that night with Marla doesn't count then,"

"What'd you do with Marla?"

"Saw her tits,"

"And?"

"And what?"

Spencer shook his head in dismay, "Fucking disgrace," He then pointed at Tala, "You too. You should have taken advantage of that piece of ass. You should be ashamed of yourself. These pictures mean nothing,"

The team captain raised a brow, "What pictures?"

"Hn," Kai gave the redhead a pathetic look and reached for Ian's laptop and turned the screen towards him before casually going back to the game he was playing on his iPhone.

And it didn't take a genius to figure out this had something to do with last night. And Dylan. The social networking sight was already logged into Ian's account and through it Tala went onto his sister's page. He clicked the recent album, flipping through the pictures hurriedly and everything seemed to be fine...until he came across the appalling pictures of himself with that girl from last night. He scrolled down on the last picture, dread consuming the redhead as he read the comments:

_Ming-Ming Love, Mallory Parsons and 26 others like this._

**_Tyson Granger:_**_ calm yourself bro lmao_

**_Emily York: _**_wtf_

**_Ian Papov: _**_thats ma boi_

**_Hayden Ivanov: _**_You mean my boy._

**_Spencer Petrov: _**_^ HA HA HA HA HA_

**_Michael Parker: _**_LMFAO is hayden your dad?  
_

**_Mathilda Alster:_**_ lol_

**_Eddie Wheeler: _**_damn son_

Tala's eyes widened in utter horrification; it was bad enough that _all_ these people had seen the pictures but it was worse, downright _embarrassing_, that his own father had seen it AND commented. Why the heck did his dad have Facebook? Moreover, why did Dylan have their dad on Facebook? What was the world coming to? After putting two and two together, figuring out that Julia must have seen the pictures off somebody else's Facebook, her freak out began making sense.

He hit Julia's number on his Blackberry, hanging up after half a ring as he changed his mind. He pushed his chair back and ran up the stairs, bursting into his room to beat the shit out of Dylan. So _this _is what she'd been planning: pretend to invite him last night as if to really call truce when really...ugh. It was done on purpose, he didn't even need to convince himself. Those pictures were way too R-rated for Facebook, something no one would put up.

Something no one would take a damn picture of! That without a doubt was proof that she'd done everything intentionally: inviting him from the start, not drinking because she knew she'd be the one to drive in the end, buying him drinks continuously..._just_ to fuck things up with Julia.

After tossing her blanket and pillow off her unmade bed and realizing she wasn't there, he hurried back to the kitchen, "Where the fuck is she?"

"Mathilda's," Bryan replied simply.

He searched up Mathilda's number on his phone, waiting for a few rings until the pinkette picked up. He didn't bother greeting her, "Give it to Dylan. Don't fucking lie, I know she's there, give it."

**x x x**

"American piece of shit?" Mathilda repeated as she reached for a handful of Skittles, "What the hell? That's so racist. Wow,"

"Yeah, well..." Dylan trailed off with a sigh, the two of them distracted by Mathilda's ringing cell phone. Both girls glanced at the phone before looking at each other.

"It's Tala," The pink haired girl read off the caller ID and with Dylan sitting right by her, she knew the real Tala was the one calling her phone.

The blonde quickly shook her head as if to say 'don't pick up', but it was too late; upon reflex, Mathilda had already answered the call, "Hello?" She waited, "Hi Tala. Oh...Dylan's not here," A frightened expression replaced her features before she grabbed the packet of Skittles, rubbing the noisy plastic-y material close to the mouth piece, "Hello? Are you there, Tala? I can't hear you, I think you're breaking up," All the while, she looked over at the Dylan with a wink, "Can you hear me? Hello? Hello?" And with that, she hung up and completely powered off her cell phone to avoid further calls from the furious redhead.

**x x x**

As the line disconnected from Mathilda's end, Tala frowned, absentmindedly going through his phone until a particular name in his contact list jumped out: Mallory Parsons. Dylan's best friend, support system, lifeline, and her other half. The bleach blonde probably knew everything and anything about his sister down to the last point: her first kiss, her last kiss, her very first alcoholic drink, the last party they went together, all the guys she ever dated or had a thing for, all her sexual encounters, all the drama, her menstrual cycle, any possible pregnancy scares, and...her Facebook password.

Smirking, the redhead made the long distance call to the 323 area code. In a matter of seconds the line was linked, "D! What you sayin'?"

"It's me," He corrected quickly, "What's up?"

"Tala?" Mallory had recognized right away, a little taken aback by his call, "How are you, hun?"

The redhead nearly cringed at the 'hun' – no wonder they were best friends, "I'm good. Just thought...I'd give you a call,"

"Really?" She sounded slightly disbelieving but excited all at once, followed by a flirty chuckle, "Missing me?"

He laughed, bringing his manipulative front to play, "Is that a rhetorical question?"

"Well maybe you should come back for another visit or something. I could show you around L.A.,"

"I'm _from_ L.A..."

"I'm sure there's one place you'll never get tired of visiting, if you know what I mean,"

Tala rolled his eyes. Like _that_ was happening. "I'll try to arrange something after the tournament,"

"You should!"

"Or," He nearly barfed on the table at the suggestion he was about to make. But this was strictly out of his will. In order to get what he wanted, he'd have to sweet talk, compliment, give – and receive – plenty of sexual innuendos with Mallory, "Maybe you can visit me here,"

"I'll try. I'll ask my dad,"

"Alright. Well it's really great hearing from you, Mallory; you sound hot over the phone," He lied, "By the way, I needed a favour,"

"Anything!"

"Do you have Dylan's Facebook password?"

"Yeah," She extended the 'yeah', "Why?"

"To stalk you, look at your pics, you know, all that stuff," He buttered her up some more.

Without a doubt the girl on the other end was flattered, "Okay, but what's your real reason?"

"She's seeing some guy and I just wanna make sure he's not screwing around with her,"

"Kai?"

Tala creased his brows wondering why Kai's name had come up. As far as he knew, Dylan was 'helping' him get to Hilary. He was sure Mallory would have known that. Nonetheless, he decided to let go of the matter for now. He could find out what was going on – if anything – later on, "No, some other guy,"

"Okay. Her password is Skyline-R-34."

**x x x**

Giving the cabbie some money, Dylan hopped out of the taxi and walked over to the front door of her house. Knocking was not required and neither was a pair of keys – the guys usually left the door open. She stepped inside, kicking off her boots and taking off her mitts. She spotted Ian and Spencer on the couch watching TV, one greeting her presence with the nod of his head, the other just looking at her and then back at the TV.

The blonde went upstairs and upon entering her room, she tossed her jacket onto her bed before finding the redhead on his side of the room putting his jacket on, a sign that he was probably heading out. "Where are you going, sweetheart?" She enquired as she checked herself out in a compact mirror.

"Julia's," He replied before smiling at her - and him smiling should have been her first clue that something _just _wasn't right, "Did you have fun at Mathilda's, Dill Pickle?"

"Yup,"

"Cool," He watched her close the mirror and as she left the room, he followed. She paced into the kitchen and grabbed some juice for herself and while she took advantage of Ian's unattended laptop, the redhead crossed his arms in triumph and stood by the entrance. He had no doubt in his head that she was logging onto Facebook.

Or at least she tried. She furrowed her brows at the unexpected message: _The password you entered is incorrect. Please try again. _So she did and to her alarm, it failed to log in.

"You know," Tala started, "I change my mind about Mallory,"

"She's not -"

"– interested in me?" Big bro finished for her with a smirk, "Well then, I just can't seem to explain why she would give me your password when I asked for it, just like that, with you being her best friend and all. A little odd, don't you think?" He fully enjoyed the blonde's jolted expression which was quickly restored with a stern one.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? M would never give you my password. She wouldn't even give it to _me _if I forgot mine,"

Tala chuckled and without another word, left the house to sort things out with Julia. It was after his departure Dylan tried to log in a few more times before giving up, letting shock sink into her.

Did M bait out D for T?

* * *

**WHAT'S GOING ON?** The reviews have REALLY slowed down! Come on guys! If you're reading it (and I know a LOT of you are, based on the number of hits for this story and chapter), PLEASE REVIEW!

**To all you that thought Dylan suddenly turned into an angel...**LMAO! ROFL! HAHA! Oh man, I'm tearing up. Anyways, check this out: Tala and Dylan conflicting, Bryan and Dylan conflicting, Tala and Julia conflicting, and it seems that maybe Dylan and BFF Mallory will be conflicting? DRAMA! And there's going to be a ton more in the next chapter...like Tala and Mariah conflicting! Wow, I'm a troublemaker :P

**Thanks to...**

**Zeratheliger – **Playing nice is never Dylan's thing as you saw from this chapter!

**Inside the Box – **First of all...HOUSE PART-AY! You know it :P And about J, I've showed him the door (quite a few times actually) and then opened the door all over again. I hope this time I've slammed the door on his face for good. I'm really liking A, nothing's official, but I'm sure they will be in just a few weeks! Oh, so I also listened to the song you suggested and I have to say I don't really get the song! I'm going to look up the lyrics after uploading this chapter to see if I understand it then b/c to be honest, I was watching a video for it and I was too focused on making sense out of that lol. But! It's def. my kinda music!

**Waffles – **What happened to all the drama? You wanna ask that again? :P LOL

**xxz0eyxx – **Oh man! Liam again? What happened this time? I swear we have the same life drama haha

**AriOnE – **That Hiwatari shirt will be selling for 4 grand...I need that money for school :P And wow, Russian? I'm trying to learn French lol. And I read your PS note...honey, I have no idea what you said to me :| LOL Translate! And teach me if possible haha!

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Please?**


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

In the middle of watching a South Park episode on his laptop, Kai heard the main door open and close, the footsteps reaching the Ivanov's bedroom indicating Dylan had come home from Mathilda's. There was a small conversation between the siblings in the room before the phoenix could hear the both of them heading downstairs, perhaps to the kitchen.

In a matter of seconds, he could hear Tala's car start up and leave the driveway. With peace restored, Kai turned his attention back to South Park. The show elapsed a few more minutes before his door practically exploded open, "I have to use your phone," Dylan demanded at once.

Only to have her plea denied. "No,"

"It's important," She stepped closer to his mattress, her body language a frantic one.

"No. Get out,"

"It's an emergency,"

"We have policemen in Russia for that,"

"I have to call a friend,"

"What friend?" He didn't bother taking his eyes off the screen.

"Mallory. It's urgent,"

There was no need for her to explain any further; Kai had been there himself when Tala called this so called Mallory. He'd even seen the redhead logging into his sister's Facebook, deleting whatever he needed to off her account before changing her password. Nonetheless, he kept all of this to himself. It was childish and he wanted no part in it. He simply pushed his phone towards her and continued watching his show.

At least he pretended to.

Lowering the volume, he watched the blonde subtly. She'd dialled a number that seemed to be memorized by heart and waited for the call to connect, "Mallory? No, I'm calling from another phone," There was a short silence, "I can't get into my Facebook and Tala's saying you gave him my password," Her turquoise eyes scanned the ground inattentively while she spoke and her fingers made imaginary circles on his bed sheet, "Did you give it to him?" From the look on her face, the answer had to have been a yes from Mallory, "You did? Why..." There was a long pause, "What guy? There's no guy," And then, realization, "Oh my God, he tricked you. I can't believe he said that. What an asshole," She rolled her eyes, "Yeah I know you'd never just randomly give it, he was all 'oh she just gave me your password, blah, blah, blah'. No, I can't get in. He changed my password. He went into my MSN and changed that too," Another pause, "And you know what? He keeps lying about how you guys hooked up and all when he was in California two years ago," From the other end of the phone, Kai could hear a loud and high pitched 'ewwwww!', "I know. I _know_. Like honestly, he's so fucking gay,"

Oh, the dramatic life of a girl, something no man could keep up with, not even the intelligent Kai. Of course, he understood the gist of all the commotion, but not everything in its entirety. And he wasn't even going to try.

"I believe you," Her fingers slipped to the BFF locket around her neck, "I know you'd never do that to me. He's a dick. He probably doesn't even have one. Alright. Yeah. K, love you too. Bye babe." Her shoulders slumped as she hung up, moving the phone back to Kai. He waited for her to make some sort of sexual move like she always did. But today, there was none. Instead, she got up in preparation to leave.

"Was the emergency resolved?" He enquired, making her walk back to the bed and take a seat all over again.

"No," Came a slightly whiny response, "Tala changed my Facebook and MSN password. And I know he won't give it back,"

"Was there confidential material in those accounts?"

"Kind of," She confessed, "I have stuff in my inbox I don't want him going through. Do you know what he changed the password to?"

"No," He said. And it was the truth. He hadn't paid much attention when all this was taking place. Nonetheless, Dylan seemed genuinely upset and he'd never experienced this side of her. Now, she wasn't upset in the sense where she was going to cry or anything of that sort, she was just a little down, to a level of insignificance if he measured. Still, it was new to him.

"Do you know Tala's Facebook password?"

"No," And then, "Even if I did, you'd never get it out of me,"

She nodded as if to understand. Then, leaning over on her hands and knees, she shifted closer to him to which he quickly strained his neck the opposite way, glaring at her with the corner of his eyes, brows gathered in annoyance. She didn't seem to take the hint – or even if she did, she just didn't care – as she travelled the extra centimetre or two, "Thanks for letting me use your phone," Following the verbal appreciation came the physical appreciation as she kissed the side of his face before laughing in victory and hastily exiting his room.

**x x x**

The redheaded Blitzkrieg Boy exhaled out loudly as he parked his car in the hotel's underground parking lot. Between drunk driving and driving while hung over, the latter was worse. Nonetheless, he remained in his car even after taking the key out. He sat there trying to conjure up what the hell to say to Julia: 'I'm sorry' was all he could come up with. He frowned; other than an apology, what else was he supposed to say anyway? 'I am _so_ unbelievably sorry that girl had a nice ass. I just had to spank it'.

That wouldn't work. That would just get him slapped, even if it was the truth. After all, Estelle was kind of his type of girl: extremely good looking, proportionate, bangin' bod, nice hair, nice lips, nice eyes, and he had a thing for women from exotic places.

It was almost as if Estelle was _tailored_ to meet his checklist of wants...

Tala finally withdrew from his car and took the elevator to the 17th floor where F-Dynasty was staying. He hadn't returned Julia's calls or BBM-ed her back figuring it would be best to just show up and solve this dilemma in person. But once on said floor, he found himself stalling for time by walking very slowly to get to her door and once at her door, he stood there stupidly. Realizing this was something that had to be done and something he had to get over with, he grew the balls to at last knock on 1709.

"Is there something we can _help_ you with?"

"What she said,"

The infamous attack of the friends.

Tala fought off a scowl as he eyed Salima and Hilary at the door, both of them with their arms folded over their chest as if to put on an intimidating front. "Is Julia here?" He tried to look past the two, "I came here to talk to her,"

"What about?" The red haired Psykick enquired.

"I'm sure you know what this is about," They didn't have to play dumb; he knew they knew, "I have to talk to her, it's important. I came here all the way from -"

Salima raised a brow, "Did you walk here?"

"No, I drove,"

"Exactly," Hilary took over, "So don't tell us you came here 'all the way from' wherever. You have a car. It probably took you five minutes to get here, possibly less,"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tala rolled his eyes in irritation, "Look, I need to talk to Julia so stop wasting my time,"

"Alright, hold on," Hilary glanced over her shoulder into the hotel room, "Julia!" She called, "Tala's here! Do you wanna talk to him?"

"No!" Came the angry screech from indoors, "Tell him to get lost!"

"Well there's your answer," Salima clarified, "Maybe you can come by another time. Like never,"

"I need to see her now!" There was no way he was going to let two little bitches slap him around like this. He felt nauseous, he was tired, and he really should have stayed home lying down in bed fighting off the hangover, but here he was trying to make right with the Latina and he couldn't even talk to her? "Julia and I are old and mature enough to solve our issues on our own, alright? I don't need you speaking for her, I can talk to her myself," He paused, "Or you know what? Is Mariah there? Let me talk to her, she'll understand," As if to have heard him, the White Tiger poked her head out from behind the two girls, "Get over here," The Blitzkrieg Boy demanded, "I have to talk to you,"

Mariah sighed, nodding over at Salima and Hilary to let them know it was okay. She pushed passed the girls and stepped out, closing the door behind her. She didn't appear as ticked off as the other two, but he could tell she was disappointed, "Yeah?" She asked.

"They won't let me talk to Julia,"

"Uh, obviously not," Mariah began walking down the corridor, "You messed up. Julia's _pissed_,"

"That's why I need to speak to her," He decided against bringing up Dylan into this; he'd just sound like a sissy and come off as not wanting to take the blame.

"I asked you if you were serious about Julia and you said yes,"

"No," He was quick to object, "I never said that. I said she was a cool girl, that's all I said,"

"So you're _not_ serious about her?" Mariah was displeased; after all, it was her friend that was the topic of conversation here.

And Tala was equally displeased. "That's not a valid question because Julia and I aren't even official. We've only gone out a few times. All you need to know is that she's not a piece of ass to me,"

"See, it's ironic you say that and then we see pictures of you on Facebook. And you also have to see it from Julia's point of view. Almost everyone in the BBA kinda knows you two are seeing each other and it's embarrassing for her because now she looks stupid,"

"That's pretty selfish, to ask me to see it from Julia's point of view if no one's gonna see it from my point of vi -"

"You don't _have_ a point of view here. You did something dumb and you need to admit that it was wrong and then apologize to Julia,"

"Isn't that why I'm here?"

"Yeah," Mariah nodded, "I guess. But it doesn't help that you have a reputation,"

The redhead snorted, "A reputation,"

"I'm not trying to be rude, Tala, so please don't take it that way,"

"I don't _have_ a reputation,"

"You do," She insisted, "And it's not like it's a secret. Everyone knows about it. That's what's working against you right now,"

"Fine," He crossed his arms challengingly, "What 'reputation'," He used air quotes, "do I have?"

Mariah rolled her eyes, "You know what I'm talking about,"

"Alright, I'm asking you, so tell me,"

"You're not serious about girls. You kinda just sleep around with them and that's it,"

"So you and I 'kinda just slept around' and that was it,"

The Thai girl raised both her brows in surprise, "There's no need to drag me into this. You asked me what people think of you and I'm telling you. I'm trying to _help _you,"

"Yeah and I'm trying to clarify. Me and you, we were just fucking no strings attached, right?"

"Okay," The pinkette stood her ground, "You're being a bitch right now, Tala,"

"And you're being a liar. You know me better than any of them in there," He referred to all the girls in Julia's room, "If anyone should have a reputation here, it should be you: you like taking guys' pants off and riding them. I liked you legitimately but unlike you when my sibling does something shitty I take care of the problem. I don't back away from it like a fucking coward like you did,"

Mariah was appalled at the words coming out of his mouth. And he wasn't done.

"Lee is an asshole," He began walking towards the elevator, "He needs to get laid. What is he? 20? 21? Fuck,"

"Shut up about my brother!"

"Shut up about my nonexistent reputation,"

"_You're_ the asshole!"

"You're a bitch."

**x x x**

In the middle of flipping channels, Kai heard the main door open and slam close. He turned his head to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a pissed off Tala, the redhead heading upstairs to his room without any kind of acknowledgment. Turning his attention back to the TV, Kai could only assume the patch up with Julia hadn't gone as his captain had planned. He was interrupted a second time, this time by the ring of his cell phone. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes but answered the call anyway, "What do you want, Granger?"

"We're heading out for drinks, Iceman, you in?"

"Who else is coming?"

"Just us," _Just us_ coming from any of the ex-Blade Breakers meant just them: Kai, Tyson, Ray, Max, and Kenny.

"Hn," The phoenix looked at the time, the clock hitting a couple of minutes after 9 PM, "Where?"

"You know this place better than any of us so you pick. Anyways, we're calling a cab; pick you up in 20?"

"I'm taking the car,"

"You sure, man?"

"Unlike you idiots, I don't plan on wasting myself,"

Tyson laughed from the other end, "Whatever you say! So pick us up too then?"

"Suck my dick," With that, Kai ended the call. Getting to his feet, he grabbed his jacket and keys and made his way over to the Beamer. As he put on his belt, the keys slipped out of his hand, falling to the bottom somewhere near the pedals. Growling, he bent over and felt around the floor mat, his finger tips coming into contact with the keys.

Or not.

The duo haired blader furrowed his brows as he came face to face with an earring. Golden in colour _and _material, the two legendary C's – one of them backwards – overlapping each other. Chanel. From the condition it was in, there was no doubt it had been down there for a while and he'd probably even stepped on it a few times, explaining its slightly crooked shape.

He stared at the piece of jewellery in his palm and the stray blonde hair entangled in it didn't need to be there to tell him who it belonged to. He recalled the earring from a couple of weeks ago; it was the day he had finally fixed his car, the day Tala's drink was spiked preventing him from taking Julia out for dinner, the day Dylan lost this specific earring.

She'd never taken his car out and she'd never driven it, that much he knew. The Chanel earring was suggesting something else.

Like maybe Kai was never really the one to have fixed his car in the first place.

* * *

**HOLY SHIT! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!** I got so many! I really cannot express enough appreciation!

**REFERENCE.** Skim through chapter 14 if you need to remind yourself about Dylan's earring.

**AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED! **On Friday at work I randomly fainted. One second I'm helping a customer with his cell phone, the next I'm on the ground with blood trickling down my brow bone – I hit my head on the counter/table on my way down – and the customer picking me up :| I had to get stitches! Before any of you ask, yes I'd eaten, I'm not pregnant (I'm on my period!), I don't have epilepsy. Nothing was wrong, the doctors said sometimes people faint for no reason. Anyways, I'm fine now! Getting the stitches removed tomorrow or Saturday – I hope it doesn't leave a mark!

**xoxo to...**

**Waffles**

**Zeratheliger**

**Native-kitten**

**Kickstartmyhart**

**Ifallupthestairsxx**

**TeenageDream92 – **I'm waiting for your 3rd chapter of that fic, hun! Hurry up! And thanks so much for the reviews! And Waterloo? Do you go to University of Waterloo of Laurier? I was actually gonna go to Waterloo, accepted their offer then rejected it last minute and headed to UOIT (Oshawa). Probably worst decision of my life lol. And my characters – including the originals like Kai and Tyson – are all loosely based off real life people that I know, I guess that's why they come off realistic. Tala in this story, for example, is nearly an exact duplicate of my own brother in real life. Btw, your little Tyson/Hilary/Kai theory...all I'm gonna say is you might be onto something :P And I hear you on the Muslim friends thing. I think it really depends from person to person: some are way too closed minded, some pretend to be all innocent and crap but go whoring around (girls) or mackin' on every girl (guys), then there are some whose parents try to force it on them and after a certain age they go crazy (I know a girl who used to cover her hair and everything and now every weekend she goes clubbing, she's got two tats, her titties hang out, you know, the whole 9 yards), and then there are people like me (I hope to be normal lol). Like I said, there are a ton of us out there, we're just overshadowed by the idiots.

**Inside the Box – **I WHIP MA HAIR BACK AND FORTH! I love that song lmao and man! I love your reviews! LOL! And about Mallory...be careful what you wish for :P And the ending wasn't entirely intentional. I actually refer to my friends by letters but only on MSN and texting and stuff like that. Too lazy to type up their entire name haha! About the music, the Cee Lo Green Chase and Status thing was a bit too slow for me but Blind Faith was pretty good! Have you heard of Pendulum? They're drum and base. I lean more towards progressive trance (my friend got me hooked lol).

**Just a girl – **Tell me about your boy probs!

**AriOnE – **The French is going okay! I'm originally from Montreal, Quebec (French-speaking place in Canada) but moved out of there when I was 5. I can't speak Dutch! I speak English, Bengali, I can understand some Hindi, and now I'm learning French.

**Tany – **Is it Tany or Tanzy? And the wolf from the beyblade was Wolborg. There may be more on that later :P


	30. Chapter Thirty

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

Sighing, Mathilda put the book down on her chest and eyed the time. 8:20 PM. She yawned, not in fatigue, but in boredom. Miguel was watching TV, Claude was picking at a scab on his elbow, and Aaron had dozed off on the couch. Breathing out loudly, the only girl in the room got up and walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She fluffed up her choppy pink hair before her shoulders slumped and she stared at herself into the mirror pathetically.

She stood there for the next couple of seconds until her rosy orbs landed on a tube of mascara on the counter. It was hers' of course; she'd just never made much use out of it. The only reason it was here was because Dylan borrowed it when she was over. Picking it up, the hedgehog looked at the label and twisted the wand out, gawking at it almost sceptically. With nothing better to do with her time, she shrugged at no one in particular and leaned closer towards the mirror, carefully putting on a few coats on her lashes.

All done, she recapped the tube, took a step back and examined herself all over again. There wasn't a drastic change – after all, it was only mascara – but it had definitely done its' job in bringing out her light coloured eyes and giving her a perkier look. Mathilda eyed the orange tube and grinned, content with the result the product had given her. Storing it safely inside the cabinet, she stepped out of the washroom.

"I'm going to Miriam's!" She let the guys know, "Call if you need me," She added and exited the hotel room. Pressing for the elevator, she waited a couple of minutes until finally it had arrived. Except it wasn't empty. Mathilda was surprised to find what appeared to be a mildly upset looking Tala. What the heck was he doing here? Thinking back, she realized he must have come for Julia. And judging by his state, he must have had some sort of scrap with Julia. "Hi," She finally greeted as she stepped inside.

"Hey,"

"What's up?"

"Not much, you?"

"Same,"

"Cool,"

"Yeah..." Mathilda nodded awkwardly, fiddling with both hands. In truth, they really didn't even know each other, so much so where this communication between them was considered plenty and it was thanks to Dylan for being the common denominator. During last year's tournament – and all the other tournaments before that – their only form of interaction was basically split second eye contacts of acknowledgment, you know, the type where you kind of just know someone by face, but that was it. Nonetheless, with everything that she now knew of the Blitzkrieg Boy and the drama surrounding him – that he himself probably had no idea about – she debated with herself whether to pry into Tala's life or leave it be. It would be a massive step forward for her in terms of assertiveness, something a little overwhelming if she thought about it long and hard, but she didn't have time to think long and hard about it. She'd be on Miriam's floor any second now. Realizing the more info the better, she made her move, "Are you okay? You look mad,"

"No, I'm fine," But his body language, consisting of a slight shrug of the shoulders, indicated otherwise.

"Oh," She eyed the digital screen that told her what floor they were passing by and thus stepped on it, "Were you here to see Julia?"

"Kinda,"

"What do you mean 'kinda'?" She pressed, coming off perhaps more harsh than she intended to.

"I came here to see her but she was tied up with some other stuff,"

Mathilda nodded as if to understand, "So she was busy,"

"Yeah,"

"So..." She didn't give herself time to think about whether what she was about to say next was something she should or shouldn't say; it kind of just came out, "How's Mariah and Spencer?"

"...excuse me?"

Mathilda _almost_ laughed out loud at his dumbfounded expression but managed to keep her composure. And her theatrical act. "Oh, never mind, sorry. I thought you knew,"

"Knew what?"

"Knew about Mariah and Spencer,"

"What about them? They're not going out,"

"I never said they were, I mean, after all, Spencer's your friend and Mariah's your ex girlfriend,"

"She's not my ex,"

"Oh?" Mathilda raised a brow, "But weren't you guys going out a while ago?" The irritated look Tala had given her following that enquiry told her she should shut up. So she did. For a second. "Well, Mariah really likes Spencer,"

"Mariah does not like Spencer. Trust me, I'd know,"

"Hmm, well I guess you could be right," The injection of doubt was very sly as Mathilda casually shrugged her shoulders in the process, "Anyways, Tala, I'll see you around!" She waved with a smile as the elevator doors opened up on Miriam's floor.

**x x x**

With the toilet seat and lid down – for once, in a house full of men – Dylan had sat, her chin resting on her knee and the heel of one of her feet on the edge of the seat. A bottle of the ever so popular OPI nail polish hung about on the counter by the sink as the blonde dipped the brush into the pastel pink liquid before swiping it over her toenail.

Absorbed in perfection and in the company of a Drake song pumping through her earphones, the blonde failed to notice her assassin standing dangerously by the bathroom door, lingering for the perfect opportunity to slay her.

Alright, so maybe that was a bit too dramatic but Kai _was_ pretty damn pissed off. He waited for her to stop and give him some eye contact, some _respect_. But it didn't happen. Fed up and patience diminishing, he marched over to her and yanked one of her earphones out. That did the trick. She'd flinched in fright before turning her head up, her blues staring at his amethysts blankly.

Blonde, yes, but as Kai had come to know through _many _subtle circumstances that not too many people had picked up on, Dylan wasn't entirely dumb. He knew she knew he was mad about something and that that something had to do with her. He tossed the high price tagged earring at her in rage. It hit her arm prior to dropping to the tiles with a _clank _and when she didn't say something like 'oh you found my earring!', he could tell she knew what all this was about.

Giving her one last look of distaste, he swiftly headed out of the washroom and seconds later he could hear the blonde jog after him and by the time she'd arrived to the garage, he'd already slipped into his car. He heard a knocking on the window on his side but the slate haired blader ignored it and uncaringly reversed out of the driveway.

He didn't want any interaction with her. He didn't even want to look at her but found himself sparing her a glance through his rear view mirror once he was at the intersection of his neighbourhood. She continued standing in the open garage, poking her head out and not coming all the way out due to cold weather. As she headed back indoors, he peeled his eyes off the mirror and journeyed down the road.

She should have known better than to go near his car. Why did she have to fix it? Couldn't she have just left it alone? Why did she have to stick her nose into everything, especially when it just wasn't her damn business?

And to go ahead and _repair_ a thing such as a car – _his_ car – it just made him feel small. Anything else would have been fine. With more thought, it actually really just blew his mind like the Hiroshima. She was only 17. She was a cheerleader. She was a _she_. Kai had difficulty putting two and two together over here.

It wasn't even like she'd just changed the tires of his car; _that _he would have at least believed and accepted. But his car had a transmission problem, in other words a _very _complicated problem, something that probably would have been better off with a mechanic's expertise. Instead it was repaired by...

He grimaced, not even wanting to think about it. He arrived at Tyson's promptly after, the door being opened by Hilary, the sight of her making him forget about the car fiasco. She looked good and well put together like she always did, her short brown hair done up in two pigtails. "Hey," She ushered him in by pulling the door open wider, "How are you, Kai?"

"Good,"

"So how's _Secret Daughter_ coming along?"

"It's coming along well," He fibbed with an entirely straight face, catching sight of the young Daichi on the XBOX, the redhead too busy to recognize his presence as he walked in.

"Hey Kai," And Kenny, as per usual, was on his laptop by the kitchen counter, "Ray and Max will be here any second and Tyson just went in for a shower,"

"Hn,"

"Don't worry, he'll be quick. Anyways, I was trying to look up some places for us to go to," He turned his laptop towards the bluenette, "I don't know if you're familiar with any of these,"

He went through the list of lounges and bars in Moscow, some places jumping out more than others. Mentally picking a place, he closed the current window only to be presented with the window behind it. It was Kenny's Facebook, unsurprisingly. Any other time, Kai could have cared less but the fact that Tala now had control over Dylan's account, he decided to check out what kind of damage the redhead had done to his sister. He navigated through Kenny's account, typing only _Dyl_ into the search box – Kenny and Dylan must have friend-ed each other after meeting at the bar a while back. Her full name showed up in the drop down menu and upon clicking it, Kai resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her status:

**_Dylan Ivanov _**_i just took a dump in my pants someone plz come lick my ass to prevent crust like an apple pie_

_ **Kyrone Bell **waddafuk?_

_ **Faisal Ali **thats not okay man_

_ **Sarah Elizabeth **LOL DYLAN! OMG!_

_ **Danny Fernando **im more than willing to lick something else..._

_ **Latonya Anderson **^ WOOOW wtf danny yhu on some nexx level of nastiness her dads on fb yhu know_

_ **Tala Ivanov **did u no with broken ribs u can suck ur own dik to? i can make that happen_

_ **Ella Nakamura **^ LMFAO! DANNY YOU A DEAD MAN WALKIN HAHA! _

Most of the people that had commented on the outrageous status were probably friends of Dylan's from California and from the looks of it, Tala had added himself on the blonde's account just to put his two cents in after Danny's input.

"We ready?" Towel drying his hair, Tyson appeared by the counter as well.

"Just waiting for Max and Ray," Kenny detailed, and soon, the other two had shown up. The Blade Breakers piled into the silver M3, Ray calling shotgun.

"So where we headed?"

"Any place without grenades, I'm cool,"

"Screw that man; I just want a beer,"

"I just wanna blaze,"

"Can we please try to have a normal outing this time, guys?"

Pssh you wish, Kenny. Any time the five got together, some sort of stupid and random situation seemed to always find its' way around them. In a matter of minutes, they found themselves in a lounge, one with a relaxed and local vibe. While Max reserved a pool table, Tyson and Kai went to get pitchers for the group, leaving Ray and Kenny to fetch some chicken wings and other 'manly food' to pig out on.

Several games of pool were played, underdog Kenny coming out as a surprising winner for most of the rounds. After running out of change to pay for the pool table, the team resorted to sitting at one of the booths to finish the rest of their drinks, order more drinks, and eat almost everything listed in the menu.

After slapping some cash on their table – a generous tip included – the five scurried into the Beamer, and as Kai hunted down a deserted park, Tyson quickly rolled one, Ray lighting up his one and taking a drag before passing it to Max.

"Guys!" Kenny exclaimed as the car hazed up, "This is a dumb place to do it, we can get caught!"

Kai didn't seem to give a damn as he took a few hits of the blunt he shared with Tyson and neither did Max or Ray as they shared another one among themselves. Kenny's shoulders slumped as he technically hotboxed unwillingly.

"This is some good shit," Tyson commented from his seat at the front beside the phoenix.

"Bought it off McGregor," Ray noted.

The guys' night out had finally come to an end as they rolled down their windows, airing out the car, and after dropping his friends off at the hotel, Kai headed back home. He turned into his neighbourhood, his house viewable in the horizon. He pulled into the driveway, passing the Supra – Tala usually just opted to leave his car in their driveway outside – and proceeded to park inside the garage. He unbuckled his belt and took out his key from the ignition simultaneously and just as he was about to step out of his car, he was attacked. He was taken aback as he found an unexpected Dylan straddling him in the driver's seat, holding him in position by his shoulders. She was in a pair of tiny red yoga shorts with white lining, her top consisting of a white tank top, and some grey ankle socks kept her feet warm. Her hair was parted to one side and down like usual, the longest of her layers ending mid-back.

It seemed as if she was about say something but was sidetracked as she furrowed her brows, pulling him closer and sniffing him and then around the car, "I smell weed. Are you high?"

A little bit. But not to the point where he'd magically forgotten about what she'd done. He tried to shove her away, "Leave me alone,"

But she didn't seem to budge, "We have to talk,"

"I don't want to ta -" He was unable to finish as she slapped a hand over his mouth, giving him a lame look.

"Um, be quiet,"

Moving his head to the side, he got rid of her hand, "I want to go to bed,"

"I stayed up all night and waited until you got home so I could talk to you,"

"Not my problem,"

"I know you're mad about your car,"

At the mention of his car, Kai felt himself give up the fight slightly, "Get the hell off me,"

"That's not happening,"

"I'll make it happen,"

She grabbed him by the face with two fingers, forcing him to look at her, "I'd like to see you try, Superman,"

Realizing he'd be better off just hearing her blab for a couple of seconds than to fight her, Kai loosened up, "You have 30 seconds,"

She smirked in victory, "Good boy,"

"30 seconds," He reminded, emphasizing her time limit.

"First of all," She begun, "I'm sorry,"

"Hn,"

"I am," She insisted, "I know how much it meant for you to be able to fix your own car. Tala told me you didn't even want to take it to a mechanic. You were never supposed to find out,"

"That helps,"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't want you to feel discouraged,"

"A pity move," He concluded; after all, she'd given him full credit for something had no part in.

"No," She denied, but as he raised a brow in doubt, she confessed, "Okay, sort of but don't take that the wrong way,"

"I'm not very clear on how that can't be taken the wrong way when I'm ultimately being labelled inadequate,"

"Wow, are you like dumb?" No, but the look she gave him made him feel such way, "You help me with math, you wanna go into engineering, and I've seen the stuff you read; it's always about science or something. You're a genius, Kai, like a hot version of Einstein and if only you'd let me express how much of a turn on that was then I'd -"

"K," He cut her off, mainly because he was terrified to hear all the things she wanted to do to him. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to get the point.

"I think that if I had a penis I'd be whacking off to you every night,"

"Good to know," More like disturbing to know, "Are we done?"

"Are you accepting my sorry?"

He had no other choice. He realized what was done, was done. She couldn't go back in time and un-fix his car. He couldn't hold a grudge against somebody forever. Well, he could, if he wanted to come off as a bitch. Besides, he had other curiosities, "How do you know about cars?"

"My dad owns a garage in California,"

"A mechanic,"

"He used to be. Now he owns it,"

"Your father taught you?"

"He showed me some things like how to boost a car and stuff. Everything else, I learned from a guy that used to work there. We went out for a while when I was 15 until my mom found out; she thought he was too old for me,"

Kai cocked a brow curiously, "How old?"

She grinned, "23. But he was a good guy,"

"You were jailbait," He countered, "I assume he was let go after,"

She shook her head, "My dad really liked him but he wasn't a US citizen and he didn't have Visa and all that stuff. He kinda just _came _from Mexico, if you know what I mean, and my dad was paying him under the table. Then one day some of the garages in the area got raided by the government. My dad's was one of them. He had to go,"

Digesting the story, he nodded. The situation hadn't surprised him; he'd heard plenty of similar ones from Tala and the all famous CNN couldn't seem to ever shut up about 'illegal aliens' in their country. He looked at her sternly, "30 seconds are up,"

She chuckled, "Shut up, Kai,"

"No. You were given the opportunity to say what you needed to say. Now let me go,"

"I _said_ shut up," She compellingly pushed him into his seat and held him by the collar of his jacket. Her face was barely a millimetre from his and it was when her gaze dropped to his mouth he knew where she was taking this. And he wasn't given the chance to stop the deed from happening. Like a child devoured their McDonald's Happy Meal, his lips were devoured in much the same way by Dylan. Realizing it was relatively one-side with the blonde doing most of the work, Kai kind of figured 'what the hell' and decided to join in and, as she had put it, 'return the favour'.

Now don't be picturing no Twilight shit with two idio – _people_ – sitting in a field of grass and kissing each other all romantically while the Earth spun on its axis, nuh uh. This was more like two people taking out their sexual frustration out on each other.

Cold, distant, and sometimes rude, yes, but that didn't change the fact that Kai Hiwatari still had testosterone running through his veins. There was no way any man – whether it was a guy like Oliver, a guy like Kenny, or even Tyson's grandpa – would walk away from something like this. Besides, this chick was _hot_.

But the reasoning didn't end there. There was something very _taboo_ about making out and being a little dirty with Dylan. She was Tala's sister. Tala and Kai were friends. Friend's sisters were off limits. This was very wrong. And that was just the thing: doing something so bad and getting away with it always felt so good; it was just human nature. It was like drinking and smoking underage, doing illegal drugs, getting into a club with fake ID, or fucking your university professor in their office on their table in replace of a better grade.

He continued to engage in the technically forbidden exchange, his hands instinctively slipping to her waist, the space between his thumb and the rest of his fingers fitting perfectly around her. When they travelled a little lower to her bum, she'd slapped his hand away in an 'I own you, bitch' way, her digits interlacing with his, holding it against the seat.

Silly, silly Dylan – didn't you know, sweetheart? Kai was nobody's bitch. He let her have her way with him for half a second before turning the tables around, prying her hands off him and holding them behind her back, and between these two, it was obvious who was more physically stronger. She laughed in between the kissing as she tried to wrestle her way out of his grip, and in the process, her butt fell on the steering wheel, the car emitting a loud and moderately lengthy honk, one capable of waking up the entire neighbourhood.

They stopped immediately, swapping glances with each other before scrambling out of the vehicle. As Dylan took shelter in the washroom upstairs acting as if she'd gotten up to pee if anyone asked, Kai dumped himself on the living room couches, quickly switching on the television.

"What the fuck was that?"

The phoenix turned his head to the side to find a yawning and eye-rubbing Tala in his PJs coming down the stairs, most likely woken up by the Beamer's honk. The bluenette played it completely cool, "My bad."

* * *

**GASP! **Look what they did!

**STORY HINTS. **I don't know how much everyone is picking up on the little details in the story but I had a reviewer PM me about some of her thoughts and they are as follows:

_"im rereading it at the moment and noticed ive completely missed things out! dylan had a ring, on her ring finger: I assume it says 'for prince charming', and i think its a purity ring right? which means shes a virgin?"_

_"Garland. When she first saw him she seemed very repulsed. And then ian told her about the beef with G and Tala – she also did the film on the camera of two people in a car 'getting it on'. Julia was absent as tala asked where she was. Is Julia cheating on tala with the big G?"_

_"as i reread your story i noticed kais car was mentioned a lot and i had forgotten at the beginning that cars and Dylan went together from the start when she said she missed her skyline and before she recorded the steamy couple – she was filming cars and kai. Also as the team picked her up from the airport – she was fascinated with the supra and touched its spoilers"_

_"the red shirt under the mattress...is it something to do with cars?"_

_"i think Miriam knows something about Julia – thats why they had an argument or something"_

_"the school project. Is it really a school project? You said you didnt put things in chapters for no reason"_

_"ive also just noticed dylans password WAS her car"_

**I won't say which ones are right and which ones are wrong. That would be dumb of me. I will say, however, to keep these in mind and to look out for details like this in the future chapters – they are crucial!**

**Remember: QUESTION EVERYTHING!**

**xoxo's to...**

**native-kitten**

**kickstartmyhart – **There'll be a lot more TalaxMariah ;)

**Inside the Box – **Like I told the person above...there will be a lot of TalaxMariah! Actually...it will be JuliaxTalaxMariah. Bring on the cat fight! Anyways, what other music are you into? I'm curious!

**Sasukechica – **Glad to have you back! :)

**TeenageDream92 – **You remembered the mechanic part right! And the TysonxHilaryxKai seems to be more like TysonxHilaryxDylanxKai...they should just gang bang already, don't you think? DON'T ANSWER THAT! And KIDDING! Lmao! Btw, I haven't gotten a chance to read the 3rd part for your story! I shall get on it ASAP! And about university...sometimes you learn a little too late. I've been dismissed from UOIT so the only advice I can give you is PLEASE stay up to date with your classes, GO to your classes, do your assignments, don't sleep in. Regrets are the worst thing in life.

**AriOnE – **Well Mariah and Julia are friends, Salima and Hilary are also friends with Julia...and you know how girlfriends can be when a jerk is an asshole to them! About languages: Bengali I learned from my parents, French I know a bit of and am learning (I was born in Quebec, Canada, it's the French part of Canada), and English...is universal lol.

**Urduja – **I keep forgetting you msg you! You know what, I will tell you here: YES! Go ahead and write what you wanted to write! Lol. I wanna read it! And what spiritual crap are you talking about? And regarding Facebook...lol I've been involved in Facebook drama, so I know how it feels! As for Tyson and Hilary, Kai and Dylan's sexual tension (well, this chapter...enough said :P), will Tala ever eff Julia, and blah, blah, blah...you'll had to read to find out!

**Darial Kuznetsova – **HONEY! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? You completely disappeared for a while! Haha. Hope you remember your password from now on!

**Tanytanzy **

**Xxz0eyxx – **LOL A MAN WOULDN'T HAVE A DICK LIKE THAT! HAHA! Was it that tiny? :| And about the keychain thing...I'll say it's a similar situation to what Bryan said to Dylan with that American comment. And yes, I very well remember that Brooklyn and Kai have beef :P I wouldn't forget ;) Hint, hint. And yes, Dylan sent Mariah the text from Tala's phone.

**Crying Sorceress – **I updated fast b/c I got rid of the boy! Sort of. Lol.

**REVIEW PEOPLE! **


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

It was just one of those nights where Lee could not sleep. After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, the White Tiger growled, kicking his covers off himself in frustration before heading into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass off the counter, he turned on the tap and helped himself to some cold water. Chugging it down, he set the glass aside and was about to head back to bed when he realized Mariah's door was slightly ajar, light seeping through it.

It was well past 3 AM; the pinkette would usually asleep by now. He strolled towards her room and pushed the door more, poking his head in. She lay on her tummy on her mattress, one elbow propped up on the surface with her chin resting in her palm, her other hand holding onto her cell phone as if she was expecting a call or message. Nonetheless, her attention, however inattentive, was mostly focused on the small television atop the hotel dresser, some Russian cooking channel airing.

"Mariah?" He invited himself in, "What are you doing up? It's late,"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't sleep,"

"How come?" He motioned for her to move over a little bit as he sat on the edge.

"No reason,"

He didn't buy it. They were brother and sister and he had practically raised her, thus knowing her inside out, perhaps better than she knew herself. He could tell when she was lying, when she was having a bad day, if she had a falling out with a companion of hers', or...if it was over a guy.

And Lee had no doubt at all that this was definitely over a guy. She had that look on her face, undetectable to others but visible to him. She wasn't heartbroken nor was she seething with the whole 'I'm-going-to-snip-his-balls-off-so-he-can-never-make-babies' type of anger. This was more of a mix of frustration, guilt, and perhaps even some confusion.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" She'd basically denied.

Lee exhaled out loudly, "Who is it this time? Robert?"

Mariah gave him a disgusted look, "Ew, never. He's a cool guy but he's just too..."

"Proper?"

She eyed her brother pathetically, "That's not to say I like bad boys,"

Lee raised a brow, "You sure about that? Because every guy you've ever had a thing for fell into that category,"

"Sure," As she rolled her eyes and continued with the show, Lee sighed and let the matter go. She'd talk when and if she wanted to. They went from watching the cooking to changing the channel to the BBA news where battle recaps were broadcasted. Only when Mariah had long dozed off did Lee figure he must have been here for a while.

He got up and stretched before fixing her pillow and pulling the blanket over her and then proceeded to remove the cell phone that was still loosely clutched in her hands. Upon touch, the screen lit up and he eyed the phone on reflex, unintentionally looking over the contents. To say he was shocked by what he had to see would have been an understatement. It was a text message, composed but not yet sent to its recipient, a sign that she must've contemplated whether to hit send or not:

_To: Red Bull_

_sorry about today...forgive and forget?_

Red Bull; an alias that Mariah had made up for that pathetic lame ass Tala when the two were, um, in 'association', if Lee remembered correctly. Now whether it was just an innocent pet name or had a dirty meaning behind its pun, Lee did NOT want to know.

Nonetheless, now was not the time to think about where the name had come from. He had other things to worry about. Spying and snooping wasn't his thing but he was concerned about his sister's wellbeing and thus checked her messages to see if there were any other exchanges between the two, and from the looks of it, they were in close contact...a little too close for his liking.

He left her room and was startled as the front door by the kitchen swung open, letting in a stupidly grinning, slightly red-eyed, marijuana smelling Ray, "Sup?"

Lee only rolled his eyes at his teammate before heading to bed. He was used to this by now; every time the Bladebreakers had a 'guys' night out', Ray would either come back high, drunk – sometimes both – or with a really outrageous story about the events of the night with his 'boys'.

**x x x**

After waiting for what seemed like hours for a call or BBM from Julia, he'd eventually gone to sleep. But an ear-splitting honk of a car snapped him back to reality. Turquoise eyes opening, Tala looked around his dark room before hopping off the bed and heading downstairs to see if everything was alright. They seemed to be as he caught a glimpse of Kai watching TV, "What the fuck was that?"

Dranzer's wielder looked over his shoulder, "My bad,"

Tala rolled his eyes, muttering a 'dumbass' as he headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He decided on a glass of milk and checked some of the cupboards for cookies. He pulled out a packet of chocolate chip ones only to wrinkle his nose at its' empty state. Dylan. "Bitch," He mumbled, tossing the vacant package into the trash.

Finishing the source of calcium, the redhead returned to the upper floor where he found Dylan tiptoeing back to their room, "Why are you up, retard?"

"Um hello?" She pointed to the washroom as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Thumping the blonde on the back of her head – rather hard – he strolled into his room and got under the covers of his bed. He was able to sleep for just another few hours before it was time to wake up and head for training with his team. By 7-something in the morning, everyone was in the kitchen pigging out on one thing or another and it was here where Tala made a discovery: there was tension between Dylan and Bryan.

No, not the same tension they had when Bryan had scolded her a few days ago when she brought up the Garland thing, but a new type of tension, one where, as Tala had observed and come to conclusion, they were not on speaking terms anymore. They ignored each other completely, not even bothering with dirty looks towards one another, just simple 'I can't see you, you don't exist' avoidance.

"The fuck's up with you two?" The captain motioned his head to the two in question.

"The fuck's up with your face?" The younger Ivanov sat at the table with a bowl of Nesquik cereal.

"Mine?" Tala scoffed, "Have you looked at your damage in the mirror, Dill Pickle?"

"Do you even _have_ a pickle?"

"Pickle? More like a python,"

"Whoa man!" Ian piped in with a repulsed expression, similar to that of Dylan's, who now had a hand held up, her face turned to the side in disgust.

"If he's just a python, I must be an anaconda," Spencer noted.

"This is what it must feel like to be raped in the ears," Luckily for Ian, the conversation – or comparison – didn't get a chance to progress any further since it was time to get going. At the rec center, the Blitzkrieg Boys separated from the cheerleader, the two having different obligations to the BBA.

An hour and half into practice, the redhead excused himself from training to 'take a leak'. Hunting down the nearest washroom, he stood in front of one of the urinals, unzipped, and relieved himself. In the middle of drying his hands on a paper towel, he noticed someone else entering the washroom. It would have been completely normal of course...if the enterer wasn't Lee.

Awkward.

Tala immediately looked down, almost as if not to have seen him. The attempt was futile, however, as it was entirely obvious both had seen – and without a damn of a doubt recognized – each other.

"Well, well, well," Lee smirked.

The Blitzkrieg Boy only nodded to deplete discomfort and proceeded to make his exit.

"Now where are you running off to?" Lee continued, essentially making the redhead stop and look over his shoulder.

"Is there something you want?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you that," The White Tiger countered, "I thought I told you to leave my sister alone, asshole,"

Tala ignored the name calling, "I did,"

"That's not what I hear," He stepped forward, "You meet up with her, you call her, and you text her,"

"What the fuck?" The redhead raised his brows in bewilderment before creasing them in disbelief, "Is that what she told you?" Had Mariah gone and _tattled_ on him to her brother? With _lies_? It was unlike her, but Tala wasn't eliminating it as impossible. Perhaps he had really ticked her off with his comments yesterday, calling her a bitch and bringing up their..._intimate_ life, and telling on him to Lee was her form of revenge, "It's not true. I don't do any of those things. In case you haven't heard, I'm seeing Julia,"

"Breakfast in bed – that ring a bell? It's what you texted her a few days ago, you little shit,"

"I wouldn't text her something like that," He pulled out his Blackberry and held it outward, "You can check my phone if you want,"

Lee chuckled, "Do you think I'm stupid, smart ass? You're telling me to check your shit when you probably already deleted it. Anyways, I've come here to deal with this for once and for all," He cracked his knuckles, "What do you say?"

"I'm not fighting you,"

"You scared, Tala?"

"No," Hell no he wasn't scared. He wasn't afraid of Lee and Lee wasn't afraid of him, and although the redhead had a significant height advantage over the raven-haired blader, it really didn't matter; they were both pretty evenly matched. Nonetheless, he wasn't going to do it. He wouldn't let himself. No shit he would love to punch the living daylight's out of him, but no, this was Mariah's _brother_. He didn't want to fight him. He didn't want to be friends. He didn't want to be acquaintances. He didn't even want to be enemies. He really wanted nothing to do with him.

"Well then?" Lee pressed on.

Tala couldn't believe him. Did he seriously want to 'settle this'? Now? While both their teams were training? In a _men's_ room? His thoughts were disrupted as the bathroom door burst open, yet another person coming in. Except, it just wasn't what he was expecting. He scrunched up his face, "Dylan! What the fuck!"

Lee looked back and gave the girl a weird look.

"This is the guy's washroom, retard," The redhead pointed at the urinals in indication.

"So?"

"So get out, dumb fuck,"

Lee took only a few seconds to study their sibling relationship. It wasn't totally poles apart from that of him and Mariah, Miriam and Joseph, and Tyson and Hiro. All brothers and sisters clashed once in a while...but these two just seemed to have some serious motherfuckin' issues. He ignored it for now and eyed the girl in the cheerleader uniform, her hair done in a ballerina bun, "Do you mind?"

Her arms crossed, she raised a brow, "Do you have a problem?"

He did now. This was supposed to be strictly between him and Tala – not him and Tala and Dylan, and as far as Lee knew, the blonde was friends with Mariah, meaning it would get to the pinkette's ear sooner or later. Growling, his orbs landed on Tala, "We'll finish this later,"

As Lee left, the redhead registered the circumstance...and the threat.

"_Lame_," Once again his contemplations were cut short and he glanced at his sister who rolled her eyes, "I ditched cheer practice _and_ walked into a guys' washroom for this?" Disappointed, she shook her head, "I thought I'd finally get to watch someone kick your ass and hopefully even send you to the hospital again just like Garland did," She let out a sigh, "This sucks,"

Tala glared at her. What an awful little bitch, wishing something like that upon him. The paper towel he had used, he tossed at her face before heading out of the washroom to go back to training while the blonde left for cheerleading, the facility once again becoming vacant.

Or so all three of them had thought.

Checking off the coast as clear, Kenny hopped off the toilet and carefully unlatched the stall. Shuddering, he made his way towards the exit and poked his head out of the washroom for good measure. He looked left and right into the corridors frantically in case Tala or Lee – or both! – were lurking around just waiting to jump him for involuntarily eavesdropping.

Finally, the brunette made a dash for it. He ran to get to BBA Revolution's training room, looking back only once to make sure he wasn't being chased after and before he could look ahead again, he ran straight into something. Falling on his butt, Kenny crawled back in fear immediately until his back hit the wall and placed his hands over his head.

This was it. Tala would beat him into a pulp while Lee took his coffee money and then they'd give him a wedgie and hang him off a hook, maybe even shave his head and make him eat his own hair.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Kenny!"

Upon hearing a well-known female voice, the ex Bladebreaker slowly looked up, his specs focusing on an angry looking Hilary.

"Sorry!"

Her features softened as she helped him up, "Why are you running? What happened?"

"N-nothing!"

Hilary made a noise of frustration and grabbed him by the collar, "Tell me what happened!"

"Tala and Lee were going to kill each other in the bathroom!"

The ruby eyed girl raised a brow, "Why?"

"Something about Mariah! Please don't ask me anything else! I don't know anything!"

Hilary didn't make much of it. Kenny was always one to exaggerate things that scared him to death. 'Tala and Lee were about to kill each other' probably really meant 'Tala and Lee bumped into each other and gave each other dirty looks'. That's all. There was nothing more to it. "Alright," She sighed, "Well let's head back before _Tyson _and _Daichi_ kill each other."

Now that scenario was more realistic.

**x x x**

The man with blue hair, lighter in the front, darker in the back, drove his car slowly – a brand new Mercedes Benz model, black in colour – as he examined each house number he passed by. He braked when he came across a residence he thought was the one he was looking for. All the lights were on in the two-storey house, their front yard was covered in snow, except for their driveway which was occupied by a black Toyota Supra and a silver BMW M3 parked side-by-side.

The man picked up the piece of paper sitting on his dashboard with the scribbled address and with the number and street name matching, he parked his car by the side of the road and stepped out. His black trench coat, which ended about mid-thigh, was unbuttoned and a grey scarf was loosely looped around his neck. He walked across their yard and reached the main door. Bringing a hand up, he rang the doorbell. He waited for only a few seconds before the door swung ajar by a rather attractive blonde girl. He assumed she was somewhere between sixteen to eighteen years of age. From the looks of it she lived here, something the man wasn't aware of. She didn't look like a maid. Perhaps she was a girlfriend of one of the Blitzkrieg Boys'.

He smiled at her kindly and in Russian, began, "Hello. Is Kai here?"

The blonde gave him a confused look, "Pardon?"

With her English perfect and her accent an American one, the man quickly comprehended that she did not speak or understand the country's native language. To communicate, he switched his dialect to hers', "Is Kai here?"

"Yeah..." She took a moment to look at him, "Are you like his brother or something?"

He chuckled; at least she had caught onto some resemblance, "No. Kai is my son."

* * *

**WARNING!** I've let you know before already and I'll say it again: **there will be mature themes in this story**. I say this b/c when I was younger I was uncomfortable reading 'mature' stories sometimes. However, my stories won't have graphic details like 'the penis went into the vagina' kind of thing. If I need to say something like that, I will write it in a more...how do I put it...well, basically less graphic way. I usually leave most up to the reader's imagination. Just wanted to let you guys know in case anybody's uncomfortable.

**Tala/Julia.** These two are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend (yet). They are dating, but not entirely official. You know the phase in a 'relationship' where you know you like each other and everyone else around you know that you two like each other and have something going on and you're just getting to know each other and stuff BEFORE becoming an official couple with the whole boyfriend/girlfriend label? That's what they have. Hope this clarification helps.

**PLEASE REVIEW! xoxo**

**And a massive thanks to...**

**Zeratheliger** – DLS...lol I don't really know what to say except that I AM working on it...sort of, kind of.

**AriOnE – **Yup! There was a part in the story where Dylan was asking Tala why Mariah was off limits to Spencer and that's when she mentioned that Mariah has a thing for Spencer, which at that point, Tala had denied. I forgot what chapter this was...lol. About DLS, read my response for zeratheliger! LOL!

**Inside the Box – **MY BRAIN JUST EXPLODED TOO! By your review! Not the length, but...I think you're my long lost twin :| I am NOT exaggerating. I was honestly a bit creeped out by your review (IN A GOOD WAY!) b/c all the songs you mentioned SPECIFICALLY are on my iPod...and they were there BEFORE you mentioned them :| And they're my faves! THAT'S WHY I'M CREEPED OUT! And I mean liking the same songs are one thing but LIKING THE EXACT SAME MASH UPS? AND DEADMAU5'S STROBE? I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL TO SAY! Strobe is my ALL time fave, it's almost always on repeat for me. Linkin Park and Lady Gaga's Telephone vs. Numb has been a fave! It would have been so strange to think about that mash up if the mash up didn't exist! And Kevin Rudolf and Kesha's Let It Rock vs. Blah Blah Blah is like the most brilliant mash up ever. DO YOU SEE WHY I'M SO DAMN CREEPED OUT? WE LIKE THE EXACT SAME THINGS! OMG! I'm gonna so have a slice of pizza to calm my shock. Anyways, about the story...lol (lmao this is like my longest response LOL!) about the weed thing, most guys that I know do it, BUT not on a daily basis. I wouldn't call them druggies. Some do it like...once a month, less even. That's what I was aiming for here (though I'm sure some of them in the story will be potheads lol). About the hints, I'm not saying shit :P

**Xxz0eyxx – **Is it a Tala/Mathilda? :P Not gonna say anything. He'd be quite the pimp though...Julia, Mariah, AND Mathilda? What a little whore. About fainting at work, yeah I'm fine! I'm just a little :( about the stitches I had to get, I'm REALLY hoping there's no scar! It's right on my brow bone! And do not fear, there will be TONS of Kai/Dylan and Tala/Mariah...maybe a little too much ;)

**Native-kitten – **I would advise to reread! You might pick up on something you missed out!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **LOL where'd you disappear to? And yes, like I told the person above, I would really urge you to reread! Skimming through the chapters is fine!

**Sasukechica – **Haha, Johnny seems more of a weed supplying guy than Max in my opinion lmao!

**The Master of the Hobos – **WELCOME BACK! Lol. And Tala did take down the pictures. In that chapter it said "he deleted whatever he needed to delete off his sister's account before changing her password". And will he talk to Julia? You'll find out!

**TeenageDream92 – **Yup, Kai just gave in :P I wonder why...what a little perve. And stop procrastinating! Do your work! Important!

**Lazy Chick – **Your review was one of the most thought out reviews for this chapters! Looks like you really looked into everything :P But I'm going to keep my mouth very shut and not tell you if you're right or wrong! Haha! Thanks for the review!


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

After three hours of training, an hour of working out at the gym, then helping Bryan with lunch _and_ dinner, Kai was deadbeat by the end of the day. Although 11 PM for him was too early a bedtime, he was considering it. He hadn't bothered changing out of his jeans or his hoodie and remained sprawled on his bed, his face buried into his pillow and one arm around his head.

Only when he felt a hand move through his hair and someone calling him did he realize he must have really fell asleep; he hadn't even heard his bedroom door open. He rolled over to his side and wasn't very thrilled to find Dylan...touching him. Just because they made out once – well, a couple of times if he counted the others – didn't mean they were buddy-buddy or anything like that, and just because she had whored herself at him didn't mean he was interested.

He moved her hand away from him and sat up, "What do you want?"

"Your dad's here,"

"_What_?"

"He's downstairs," She detailed and when he didn't move, she gave him a funny look, "Well _go_. He's waiting,"

His eyes widened, "You let him in the house?"

"He told me he's your dad and he asked for you so I told him to come in while I got you," She creased her brows in concern, "Wasn't I supposed to?"

Kai couldn't believe the dumb bitch. He gave her a hard look, one that told her to stay out his life and business before he climbed out of bed and headed downstairs, and sure enough, he was there. Alden Hiwatari. He didn't look any older than the last time Kai had seen him. He never did. At least not as old as most other fathers with a child of 19. They stood at about the same height and the colour of their hair was nearly the same, save that Alden's was a lot shorter and not entirely bed head like his son's. They were mostly like-father-like-son in appearance but their eyes were distinct; while the younger Hiwatari inherited a soft lavender pair, the elder had emerald ones.

Without any sort of tell-all expression, Kai passed by his father and pulled the main door open; he'd rather talk outside than have his entire team know – or hear – about his family drama.

Alden stepped out first, followed by the phoenix who cut to the chase immediately, "Why are you here?"

The older man eyed the snow on the ground uneasily before making eye contact with his blood and flesh, and when he did, he blanked out, forgetting all about the posed question. Instead he reminisced about the time when Kai was nothing but a baby weighing a couple of ounces, doing number one and two in his diapers way too often for a father's liking.

And what should have been considered a milestone when Kai had learned how to crawl was only another added concern for Alden; his son was one of those babies that always poked at random and foreign objects lying on the floor before stupidly shoving them into their mouth.

Including his own poop.

He smiled at the memory, partly in disgust and partly in, well, reliving the moment. Voltaire was not happy to walk in on his few months old grandson covered in his own excrement, deeming him an imbecile much like his own son.

"Well? What is it?"

As his son pressed on harshly, Alden eyed him. All he wanted to do was reach out and touch him, hug him, pat him on the back, kiss his head, maybe ruffle his hair. "Kai, I just want to talk," He verbalized as an alternative, "I know I haven't always been there every time you needed me -"

"Never," Kai interrupted with correction, "You've never been there for me,"

"I know," The green-eyed man accepted blame, "And I want you to know that was never my intention; I'm sorry. Just for a minute I'd like to set our differences aside and discuss something with you,"

Crossing his arms, Kai laughed mockingly, "Do you really think I have any interest talking to you? Because if that's the case, you obviously have issues," With that he began walking towards his house.

"I know you're mad about everything," Alden technically called after him, though didn't bother physically chasing after him, "I've come to reconcile with you and get to know you better. Please try to understand,"

The Blitzkrieg Boy looked over his shoulder coldly, "Understand _this_." 'This' was Kai flipping his father the bird. He re-entered his house and closed the door behind him. Instead of heading straight upstairs, he lingered for the next few seconds, and when he heard the sound of the engine start up, he peered out the glass panel on the door. As the Mercedes drove off, the bluenette continued on his way to the second floor.

He passed by Bryan's room, catching sight of the lilac blader practically passed out on his mattress. In the next room, he expected Ian and Spencer but did not find them there. He spotted them by Tala's room, looking in. With Ian crouched down and with Spencer over him with one hand on the doorframe and leaning to look, it appeared to Kai that the two were watching something secretly.

Unlike them, he strolled towards the doorway and stood there bluntly. He wasn't surprised what they were looking at: barefoot with a pair of black tights – or leggings, depending on what you called them – that acted as technically a second skin and nothing up top except a pink bandeau, a hula hoop circled around Dylan's hip. Both her hands were raised slightly, one holding an iPod, and as she stood facing the window in her room, her back was what was towards the doorway.

Now all there had to be was a stripper pole and a Pitbull or Flo-Rida song in the background.

Followed by Tala's foot up all three of their ass.

Well, at least two of them. Kai gave Ian and Spencer a pathetic look; couldn't they just get their daily dose of _pleasure_ from somewhere else? Yeah, it was kinda hot to watch, the multicoloured hula hoop going round and round, her waist moving like that, her back a little exposed, the shape of her butt, her entire figure in general, and her hair tied up in a casual high ponytail. But Christ, the girl was only doing her workout, nothing worth spying and being perverted over.

Well...

It was when she must've sensed that she was being watched that she turned her head slightly, the hoop still going, and while Ian and Spencer tried to scramble away, it was too late. Their peeping Tom tendencies were caught red handed. She didn't seem to mind. Rather, she didn't seem to care as her gaze landed on nobody else except the slate haired blader. She grinned deviously like she always did before sending him a wink.

"Hn," He was not impressed and to show such, he reached for her door and pulled it closed, preventing the two perves from looking at her and preventing her looking at and fantasizing about him. With that, Kai proceeded down the end of the hall where his room was, not failing to notice Spencer and Ian's footsteps behind him.

"She wants to fuck your brains out!" Spencer exclaimed in a whisper, "It's so obvious!"

"Did you see her ass? Shit," The short one commented.

"She's blatantly giving you permission to hit that," Spencer had continued, "If you don't, I will,"

Avoiding the idiots, Kai stepped into his room and shut the door behind him. He would never 'hit' _that_. He wasn't interested in hitting anything. At least not right now. He went back to bed, this time hiding his head under the pillow as if it was some sort of protection. Or maybe even a relief from frustration. Whatever it was, it was how he stayed and eventually fell asleep.

**x x x**

Looking up from his Blackberry every now and then, Tala watched as Dylan finished off her PB and J sandwich with a cup of milk at the table while Bryan worked the coffee machine. Lazy bums Ian and Spencer were probably still snoozing and Kai must have been the one in the shower upstairs. The blonde got up to put her plate in the sink – in exchange for five bucks of course – and as she moved closer towards the counter, Bryan had moved away, creating distance between them.

The redhead grabbed his jacket, fetching his keys out of the pockets, "I'm starting the car," He informed his sister, who only nodded as she ran upstairs to grab her school bag. He waited for three or four minutes in his car before Dylan had hopped into the passenger seat, her backpack sitting on her lap, "Belt," He reminded like always as he reversed out of the driveway. He drove towards the intersection and broke the silence, "What's going on with you and Bryan?"

"He_ wishes_ he could have something going on with _this_," She motioned both her hands at her body egotistically.

Tala frowned momentarily before getting back on topic, "Why aren't you and him talking?"

"We are,"

"No you're not. You guys are being gay,"

"Probably because he _is_ gay,"

He rolled his eyes, "What happened, dipshit," As she let out a noise of frustration, he glanced over at her, "You can tell me,"

"Nothing happened, smart one,"

"Dylan, I'm not stupid,"

"If thinking that makes you happy, sure,"

"What did he do? Did he do something?"

"No," She appeared annoyed, "Nothing happened. He's kind of an asshole, but whatevs. We're fine,"

"Did he make you feel uncomfortable?"

Her shoulders moved up and down slightly, "In a way. Sort of,"

"Is he hitting on you?"

"No!" She denied, "It's not like that. It's really not that big of a deal,"

"Alright, but just for clarification, he did do something,"

She shrugged again, "I guess, yeah,"

He nodded, "K, that's all I wanted to know,"

"Are you gonna tell him I said that?"

Tala gave her a seriously dumb look, one that essentially read 'are you fucking stupid?' before sparing one hand off the steering wheel to hit the side of her head, "_Re_-tard."

After dropping her off and while on the roads again, he debated with himself whether to go to Julia's or not. If he didn't, he'd come off as an ass to her, if he did, he'd come off as an ass to himself. But perhaps being an ass to himself was what he deserved. Leaving the car in the parking lot, he entered the hotel and stood by the elevators in the lobby.

Being sorry was hardly ever easy. Sometimes it didn't seem genuine, sometimes it was too late, and sometimes it was just a shitty apology in general.

He really did like her.

He got into the elevators which took him to the 17th floor and just as the doors opened and he was about to step out, he nearly butted into Enrique.

Or rather, Enrique nearly butted into him.

The Italian took a step back, rubbing his eyes and yawning before looking up, and in doing so, looked down immediately. He cleared his throat, almost as if to cut tension of some sort before entering the lift, "See you around," He'd managed to say, his voice a little groggy, as the elevator doors began closing.

"O...kay," The redhead muttered to nobody in particular; he'd expected a little more out of the blonde than just a 'see you around'. They weren't exactly buddies, but when they found themselves at the same place together at the odd time – such as BBA formals and after parties or through gatherings by mutual friends – they would usually converse. Checking Enrique off as probably too hung over, as that was usually the case, Tala didn't make much of it and headed for Julia's.

The door was opened almost as soon as he'd knocked. Her hair was ruffled like she'd just woken up, her short satin nightdress and a pair of slippers on her feet confirming that. Nonetheless, her expression told him she wasn't at all expecting him, "What...are you doing here?"

"Can I take you out?" He decided accompanying her to breakfast at a nice place would be the best way to go.

"Me?" She raised a brow, "Or that little slut you were with that night?"

"We never did anything,"

"Excuse me?"

"I meant _other_ than what you saw in the pictures,"

"You seriously have the nerve to come here and lie to my fucking face?"

He looked her unbelievably, "I'm not going to bring some girl over when I share a room with my sister. You can ask Dylan, she was with me,"

"Okay, _why_ would I ask her? No offence, but I don't want anything to do with your sister,"

"Alright, fine," He shrugged, "Ask Kai then,"

She scoffed, "Fuck that asshole,"

"Look, I don't care if you don't like Dylan but Kai's a different story," In other words, bros before hoes and Kai was definitely a bro. In fact, it was much more than that. He loved Kai to death, though of course he – or any other guy in a bromance for that matter – would never say this out loud, and he knew the bluenette had the same love for him. Sure, Kai could be a serious dick at times with his silent treatment and demeaning comments, but anytime he was needed, he'd be there.

No matter what.

That was probably why people were so drawn to him – other than his dashing good looks – because he was really bad and really good at the same time, though you'd really have to dig through the bad to get to the good.

But that was just Kai and Tala wouldn't have him any other way. The redhead was sure Tyson felt the same way, Ray, Max, and Kenny too – it was why they were still friends after all the turmoil they'd gone through.

"Yeah he's definitely a different story," Julia rolled her eyes, "The guy has a problem with me for no reason,"

"What the hell? No he doesn't,"

"Uh, yes he does," She defied, "He doesn't like me,"

Tala shook his head in denial, "That's bullshit," And just as Julia was about the slam the door shut on his face because he'd technically but unintentionally called her a liar, he pushed it back, though gently, "Why are you saying that about him?"

"Because," She widened her eyes in seriousness, "That day when I went to your locker room after your match and I wanted to talk to you, he was so rude. And that time at the club, he wouldn't let you come home with me _and_ he said I couldn't come over either,"

"Kai said that?"

"Well, he didn't _say_ that but he implied it. Seriously, he doesn't like me,"

Tala didn't want to believe it. Kai wasn't like that. But he recalled their past feud and drama over Vanessa, a former girlfriend of the redhead. It was only after the breakup when he found out about Kai's involvement in their relationship and after a confrontation, a heated argument followed, ultimately resulting in a physical fight right in the middle of the kitchen between the two. As one could imagine, it was never clear who the winner was in the brawl; they'd both gotten and given pretty good hits to one another. The three others had stopped it before any kind of strangulation or killing could take place, but after the whole ordeal, Red and Blue had stopped talking to each other for about a week.

"I'll bet you anything he's jealous of you," Continued Julia, "because you're seeing someone and he's not. He's just home all day playing video games. I mean think about it,"

He nodded at the Spanish blader, "I'll talk to him,"

The blonde-brunette lingered by the doorway for a few seconds before sighing, "I'm gonna get ready for breakfast."

It had taken her about thirty minutes to prepare herself and an additional fifteen minutes later, they found a nice cafe. As they walked towards the restaurant after parking the car, Tala spotted two familiar individuals by the entrance. Miriam and Mathilda. With a coffee supplemented by a cigarette, Miriam had her back against the brick formation while Mathilda stood there with a half-eaten croissant peeking out of a small paper bag.

The redhead turned to his side to catch a glimpse of Julia who didn't look too pleased, and upon recognition, neither did Miriam. As the Latina only let out a repulsive 'ugh' under her breath, the Saint Shield averted her gaze as if nothing had happened and continued with her smoke. Luckily for Tala, a bitch fight was something he didn't need to worry about. From what he had seen and heard, Miriam was calm and collective, mature beyond her years; an unladylike scrap was not her thing. Among all the guys of the BBA, she was known as the 'chill' or 'cool' one. She had no drama surrounding her, she wasn't a slut, she was capable of having a good time, she was independent and knew how to take care of herself, she got along with pretty much everyone without having to be excessively social, and she was hot as fuck. Tala mentally judged Max an idiot for letting her slip right through his fingers, and Ozuma a retard for not having made the moves on her yet, especially after being on the same team for Christ's sake.

"Hey," He muttered at the two once close enough and Miriam only raised her coffee with a nod as a form of acknowledgement.

"If you guys are here for food," Mathilda had started, "Get their chocolate chip pancakes,"

"Is it good?" Enquired Julia.

"Um hello?" The pinkette rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "Chocolate chips!"

"I'll give them a try then," Julia noted while she slipped into the restaurant as Tala pulled the door open. They grabbed a table for two by the windows, letting their jackets hang off their chairs. Untrue to her words, the F-Dynasty blader had ordered fruit and yogurt and being a guy, the redhead had naturally gotten something heavier. It was in the middle of eating and conversing that the Blitzkrieg Boy noticed his phone vibrate on the table, the signature red blinker going off indicating a text message. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he reached for it and checked quickly, only to grimace at the memo: _sorry about that day...forgive and forget?_

Sure he'd forgive and forget.

Tala would forgive Mariah...and he'd _forget _Mariah.

* * *

**JAPANNN! **Fuck man, I don't even know what to say. Out of all earthquakes and tsunamis I've heard about, this one hit hard the most b/c I've never seen actual video footage like the ones I saw for Japan. Every time you see something to do with earthquakes or tsunamis, it's always the aftermath pictures. But Japan had an aerial view of the tsunami coming in and it was just a very horrible, horrible, horrible thing to watch (if you haven't seen it, search it up on YouTube under 'aerial view of tsunami in Japan' or something; it was by RT, the Russian news channel). The water basically just..._ate _the land/city/town/whatever. It just washed shit away like nothing. It was very strange/scary to watch. You really have to see it.

I really don't know what the hell to say. It really blows my mind what our planet is capable of. It makes me feel very small and insignificant, all my problems seem dumb all of a sudden compared to what can happen. Japan is on a fault line. California is on a fault line. Vancouver, B.C. (where the 2010 Winter Olympics were held; it's where I used to live) is on a fault line. Both places are expecting 'the big one' in the near future. My parents are from Bangladesh and it's a country below sea level and it's predicted that in a matter of years, the country will be under water, as in, it basically won't even exist anymore.

And just to see all those buildings and stuff go down is really fucking sad. I mean people took the time to do the mathematics and architecture to build that shit, people living around them were probably proud, you know, that's their city. I can't imagine something like the Eaton Center or CN Tower in my city being destroyed like that. These are landmarks, if you grow up with it, they're a part of you, and if they suddenly don't exist anymore...

I feel awful for the economy. Now all you people out there going 'oh you only care about money and not the people', fuck you up the ass man, seriously. You don't know shit. Buy a fucking book and educate your damn selves. The economy is a big deal. If your economy's bad, you suffer too. Canada was hit with a recession right after the U.S. I saw firsthand how it can affect you. Both my parents were laid off from their jobs, we had no fucking money, we were about to get evicted, less food on our table, my dad couldn't pay car insurance, bills weren't being paid, we couldn't even afford to do our laundry lol, everyone's stressed, more family problems, etc.

But Japan's an intelligent country. They were also very well prepared. It'll take some time, but they'll most def bounce back quick.

Until then, all we can do is just try to get along with human beings. White, Black, Indian, Spanish, French, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Russian, Cuban, Guyanese, Trini, everything and anything, it doesn't matter. We're just life forms that can be wiped out in a second by an asteroid, a solar flare, or whatever. Our petty little problems are not that important. We're here for now, let's just enjoy it and each other's company while we can.

**Anyways, thank you to:**

**Waffles**

**Xxz0ey – **Don't even get me started on the guys' bathroom! It's disgusting! Omg they're filthy! Then again, we are too...girls leave their used pads in the toilet sometimes. Like bitch, do you know wtf a garbage can is? :S Lmao the part in your review where you're like 'Mariah's not just randomly going to walk in and be like oh hoy – what's jamming up in here?' cracked me the eff up LOL! I'm laughing now as I reread it HAHA! Oh man. Regarding my highlights, they're gone now! My hair's back to its normal/natural back (after like...3 years LOL!). Highlights were cool but the damage they do to your hair, oh man!

**Tany – **Haha, my bro and I fight all the time! LOL! He's 17, I'm 22, and we still get into really dumb fights sometimes. At the same time though, we're very close. The thing with us is, when it's bad, it's really bad, and when it's good, it's pretty good. I think it's like that with all siblings. If you don't fight at all with them, I don't think that's healthy. There has to be a balance. How old is your bro? Lol. About Mathilda, you'll have to read!

**Inside the Box – **Well if Kai's hot, he must get it from somewhere :P Btw, Deadmau5 is from where I'm from! Toronto! Haha. Btw, there's a mash up with Ke$ha's Take It Off and Britney Spears' 3...LOVE it! I'm not sure how you'll feel about it but I love both artists! Btw, which iPod do you have? I just got the new Nano, the touch screen. I don't like it! Bring back the click wheel! About the mature content, I hope mine won't creep you out! Lol. As for drugs, Toronto's a place where EVERYONE smokes weed (I've never done it, to be honest). You'll smell it on the beach, you'll smell it while walking down the street...I even smell it in my apartment b/c of the people that live below me and do it lol. Cocaine is definitely some next level shit, now that would creep me out. I guess your friend needs to live and learn, that guy needs to live and learn too, but he has to do it faster since he's got a kid. Some people are just retarded, really.

**Peroxxide Priincess – **About DLS...I'm TRYING. I know, I know! A lot of people have been asking. It's just hard to write, you know? That's why for this story, I keep it short. DLS is a little more personal which is why the chapters are long b/c I went into detail (like...serious detail lol). This story is also personal, in a way, but not as much as DLS. All I can say for now is...I WILL TRY! Don't hate me :( lmao. As for the type of relationship between Kai and his father, it may be a little similar.

**TeenageDream92 – **I know how it feels to have your bro going through your txts! My bro – AND HIS FRIEND! – went through my txts that I had with my boyfriend. They were doing it for fun and I guess they didn't except certain 'stuff' but...there was a lot. It was pretty embarrassing. My boyfriend and I usually exchange very, very, very, VERY x 100 msgs...so you can just imagine. Btw, about you working hard...if you work hard, PLAY hard! You need that balance otherwise you'll burn out! Let loose sometimes, treat yourself!

**Sasukechica**

**The Master of the Hobos – **Susumu or Alden? :P And don't worry, I'll tell you woman!

**Fuurai – **Yes, lol, most of this IS from my life haha. All the relationship material (whether it's with Kai/Dylan, Julia/Tala/Mariah, Tyson/Hilary, Tyson/Hilary/Kai, God knows what else), is mostly based off real life. Tala and Dylan's sibling relationship is also loosely based off the relationship that I have with my brother. The Facebook stuff...that's also real. I recently just went through a massive Facebook dilemma and I lost a friend over it, I'll let everyone in on that in the next chapter. I don't smoke either! I do drink, but in moderation. As for do as mommy says...not so much :P But in the end, I do find that my mom is almost always right about things. I live and learn, I guess you can say. So! About you bumping into your bro's friend...DETAILS! What kind of PJ were you wearing? How old is he? Is he cute? LOL! And I know how it feels to do a review on your phone! I have a Blackberry Pearl (DON'T LAUGH!) and man...it's a bitch to do reviews on it! What phone do you have?

**Native-kitten**

**Zeratheliger – **Dylan's hair is blonde with naturally built in high lights, darker at the roots and lighter as it goes out, straight, parted to the side, in layers, and ends about mid back. More description on her looks will be given! Lol.


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

When Bryan yelled 'food', everyone scurried to the dinner table. For the boys, it was a serving of something normal. For Dylan, it was utterly foreign. She swirled the contents in her bowl with her spoon with a disgusted look, "What _is _this?"

Tala glanced over at the blonde, "Soup,"

"What the fuck kind?"

"Unfortunately not the kind that will kill you,"

Dylan narrowed her eyes in confusion and looked at the liquid, "It looks like -"

Intelligently, Kai had quickly covered his ears before she could have finished her description.

"- semen,"

The others weren't as lucky. Bryan let out a deep breath while Ian had a mildly violent coughing fit as a result of choking and reached for his glass of water and Spencer wrinkled his nose at his dinner.

"Yeah, you'd know," Tala commented with an eye roll and continued with his meal.

She licked the back of her spoon as a taste tester before shrugging her shoulders and began eating whatever the heck this was. It was definitely different but she decided it wasn't _that_ bad.

"Did you finish your homework?" The redhead enquired halfway through his soup.

"Sort of," She had her elbow on the table with her head resting in her palm, "You have to sign my calculus test,"

Immediately Tala raised a brow, "Why..."

"I'm failing,"

"No," He stated simply, "No, no, no, no, no. That's not true. You didn't fail. You can't fail," He paused, rubbing his face to relieve stress, "Where's the test?"

She dashed upstairs and returned with the three-paged math test full of X's, underlines, and question marks in red, a grade of 24 percent circled at the top right hand corner. How someone could fail so miserably was beyond him. Tala frowned; this could _not _be happening. Dylan needed to leave! She needed to fly out of Russia and go back home so he could have sex with Julia in the privacy of his room! Not that that's what was going through his mind or anything...but it was a nightmare unfolding right before him. If she could cause so much ruckus in just a matter of weeks during her stay in Moscow, he could only painfully imagine how things would be if she stayed longer.

"I told you to put me in an international school,"

"What good would that do?"

"Are you dumb? I don't know Russianese. I have no idea what the hell they're saying in class,"

"_Russian_," He adjusted, "If I put you into an international school, it wouldn't have made a difference. I registered you into a local school for a reason: so you can see what you took for granted. You had the opportunity to do well and fluently communicate with your teachers in L.A. and you didn't do it. You fucked around. You had everything in California: mom and dad watching your back, they always gave you money, they always cleaned up after you, they even did your laundry, you had an entourage of bitches at Harbour, you had a phone, you had a car. You had more than I ever had and almost more than any other 17 year old kid had," He paused to look at her, "And you abused everything and used it to your advantage. Now you have nothing. But you can get it all back and I'm gonna tell you right now, it's not going to be easy," He pushed the unsuccessful test towards her in indication, "So fix yourself the fuck up or you're stuck in Russia,"

"Like I'm staying in this shithole,"

"Who you calling a shithole?" Ian piped in, "We're the biggest country in the world. We can fit three Americas in here,"

Spencer nodded with a scoff, "The States are more like the hole compared to us,"

Tala looked across the table at the blonde Blitzkrieg Boy, "And you're the _ass_hole," With that, his attention was restored for Dylan, "So if you don't understand the language, learn it. I don't know how you're gonna do it, I don't even care. Mom and dad only told me to give you food and shelter and to make sure you don't get pregnant. Everything else is your problem,"

She rolled her eyes uncaringly, "Whatevs,"

"But until then," The redhead crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly, "You're grounded."

**x x x**

California. X.

Cell phone. X.

Catered lunches for school. X.

Facebook. X.

Being grounded and losing the 'privilege' of getting a car ride to school. X.

Dumping herself at the kitchen table angrily, Dylan grabbed the box of cereal and poured the contents into her bowl followed by the milk, all while contemplating the number of things she had practically lost in the last couple of weeks thanks to the motherfucker that was Tala. Well the first two weren't really his doings but she had no problem shifting the blame onto him.

That's what older siblings were for anyway...

Actually, Tala was never good for that either. Eating cookies out of the cookie jar before dinner, 'playing' 52 pickup, their mom's nail polish spilled all over the expensive carpets in their living room, swearing at the next door neighbour's kid, all of this and more, Dylan had gotten in trouble for even though she was never the instigator.

And so all the things the redhead was now getting in trouble with – coughJuliacough; coughMariahcough; coughLeecough; coughRaulcough; coughprettysoonKaitoocough; coughmaybeBryanwhoknowscough – was probably just karma biting him in the ass.

While witnessing all of that was rather amusing, Dylan could not fathom Tala's mere existence on this planet. He was taking up unnecessary space. He was useless. And a serious dick.

How could he ground her? Was it even allowed for a brother to ground their sibling? Because she was pretty sure it was illegal.

Finished with her breakfast, she hummed the melody of a song to herself as she snatched the box of Cheerios and headed upstairs. She loomed over the sleeping redhead before casually turning the box upside down, littering him and his mattress with cereal. He woke up with a confused 'what the fuck' followed by a murderous look, "DY-LAN!" Shaking some cereal out of his hair, he growled before raising both his arms and leaping off the bed to attack her.

Fail.

With his feet tangled in the bed sheets and his blanket, the only thing he managed to attack was the floor as he came crashing down, missing his sister by a mile.

"Wow, _retard_..." The blonde muttered prior to tossing the empty box at the back of his head and leaving the room. Once downstairs again, she picked her school bag off the ground and headed out. As she walked across the front yard, she narrowed her eyes at the Toyota and BMW for a split second in envy before continuing the horrid _walk_ to school. It had taken somewhere between ten to fifteen minutes to reach the institution and might have taken less time if there was no snow outside.

"Ryan!"

Walking down the hallway, the blonde rolled her eyes.

"Ryan!"

"It's _Dylan_," She looked over her shoulder.

"Oh..." Nonetheless, the boy didn't seem to bother letting the correction sink in, "You got it fixed yet?" His English wasn't completely unfortunate but he did have an accent. He was taller than her but definitely shorter than her brother, Dylan had mentally calculated. With a head full of shaggy, curly brown hair and his uniform worn sloppily with his shirt un-tucked and his grey trousers slouchy by his black runners, he resembled every other student in the school.

"No," She shoved her jacket into her locker before putting on some lip gloss, pursing her lips together slightly for even application, "But I'm gonna do a mod on it today,"

"Mod?"

"Modify? Modification?" Dylan raised a brow as she technically elaborated.

"Oh," He nodded dumbly, "He will not find out?"

"Probably,"

"Then?"

Annoyed, she gave the boy a pathetic look, "Shut up, Luka," She closed her locker, "Anyways, I'm gonna drop it off at lunch to someone and then pick it up after school,"

"Why?"

"So that when I get home," She began strolling towards class, "I can just put it back and he'll never know it was missing."

**x x x**

Sleep dissipating, Mariah opened her eyes. She let out a deep breath as she rolled onto her back and reached for her cell phone situated right beside her pillow. Disconnecting the charger, she checked the device for unread text messages or missed calls. Upon finding none, her shoulders slumped slightly.

She'd expected one from a certain somebody.

Sure Tala had gone to the Abbey, was a Blitzkrieg Boy, had an upfront 'I don't take no bullshit' reputation, and people were afraid to mess with him, but Mariah had the rare opportunity to witness and experience a few things underneath his surface. And underneath that surface was a different side of him. _Much_ different.

Her thoughts suddenly and dramatically turned into dirty ones about him. The way he'd kiss her. The he'd touch her. The way he'd _do _her. Whether it was right or wrong to think about those things was something she didn't give a damn about. A memory was a memory and a memory was there for a reason. Besides, what girl – or guy, if you swing that way – wouldn't think about it? His body, with or without clothes, was always in a sinfully good condition and so was his _ahem._ She didn't feel bad at all thinking about him so perverted-ly; everyone was a pervert once in a while. No big deal.

Anyways, the point was that she had expected a text message along the lines of 'it's cool, no hard feelings' from the redhead after she had sent him an apology. Contrary to popular belief, he was pretty forgiving.

At least with her.

The White Tiger navigated through her contacts until she reached _Red Bull_ before composing a new message: _hey did you get my txt msg?_ Sending the message, she sat up on her mattress, stretched and yawned, before heading to the washroom. Her daily routine and a quick shower later, she was greeted by Hilary and Julia at her door, "We're going out for breakfast," The F-Dynasty member informed, "So get ready!"

"And a heads up," Hilary added, "Emily's coming,"

Mariah only rolled her eyes before throwing on some skinny jeans with boots, a fitted white full sleeve, her jacket and scarf, a little liner and mascara, and doing her hair up in a half ponytail. The three met the Philadelphia ginger and redhead Salima at the hotel lobby and walked to a nearby eatery.

"So," Began Julia with a grin, "Tala came by yesterday. He said sorry and took me out,"

Hilary took a sip of her coffee, "And you accepted?"

"Well he said sorry,"

Salima shrugged, "You just wanna fuck him,"

"I wouldn't mind," Julia smirked before her eyes landed on her vibrating cell phone, "Speak of the devil,"

"What's he saying?" Enquired the Psykick.

The female in question stuck out her tongue, holding her phone close to her chest as if to hide the contents, "Stuff!"

"For your eyes only, I assume," Emily remarked nonchalantly, "Anyways..."

As a new conversation topic arose, Mariah zoned out. The fact that Tala had messaged Julia made it clear to Mariah that he had in fact received her messages. Then why the avoidance? It was unlike him. He wasn't one to hold grudges. While the others chattered away, she recalled everything that happened that night with the redhead – she hadn't said anything to him that was _that_ bad. Truth be told, _he_ was the one who had said things that were completely out of line. He'd called her a bitch, he'd called Lee an asshole, and then he'd brought up sex, essentially making her feel, well, kind of like a whore.

She really hadn't done anything except mention his status with women. And she hadn't meant for it to disrespectful, it was just the truth. Tala had a reputation. One minute he'd be all over you, the next he'd be all over the waitress in the kitchen, and after that, he'd move onto the bartender in the bathroom. He was a touch-and-go kind of guy and however insulting that may have been to women, they still wanted a piece. There was just something about the redhead that would gravitate you towards him and make you make a slut out of yourself – he was like the Sun and the planets were like the women.

And what happened if you were a planet circling the Sun? You could never get out of orbit...even if you really wanted to.

He just had that power.

**x x x**

After checking for BBA updates and his email, Kenny closed his laptop and exhaled out loudly with a dopey grin. Hilary had gone out with the girls, Tyson had gone to the gym with Max and Ray, and Daichi had probably gone exploring the city of Moscow, thus letting Kenny bask in this moment of peace in his hotel suite. With all of them around, silence was definitely too much to ask for.

It would either be Tyson and Hilary arguing, Tyson and Daichi trying to kill each other, Daichi and Hilary starring in a scream fest, or even all three of them yelling at the top of their lungs at the same time.

With the clock hitting several minutes past noon, the spectacle-clad brunette prepared a sandwich and made himself comfortable on the couches in front of the TV. Just as he was about to take a bite a knock on the door stopped him. Looking over his shoulders, he eyed the door. If it was any of the BBA Revolution members, they would have let themselves in with their keys. A second knocking essentially made him get up and upon opening the door, his brows raised in surprise and curiosity.

What Dylan was doing at his doorstep was beyond him.

* * *

**STORY HINTS!** In chapter 31, there was something about Dylan and Tala that no one really picked up on. Well, you did, but it was just the way I thought you guys would think :P (aka, the wrong way!). In chapter 32, there was something about Kai and Dylan which ONE reader was able to catch! There was also one more 'revelation' in chapter 32 that most of you got. And that's all I'm going to say! Read carefully! Keep things in mind! Reread if you have to! Question everything!

**MY REAL LIFE DRAMA.** Well, some of you asked for it. Read on if you want to know what kind of drama I deal with in my life, if not, just review, thanks.

**I lost my best friend over Facebook. **K and I were the best of friends since 7th grade. This year would have marked our 11th year of friendship. Lately we've been distant b/c of different lifestyles and a lack of common ground. I have another best friend, closer and a better bond than K, her name is L. L and I have nearly everything in common and the same lifestyle. We tell each other EVERYTHING, nothing is ever TMI for us. L and K know each other but they are to each other what Tala and Mathilda (from this story) are to each other – they know each other by face, but that's pretty much it, and only I'm the commonality between them. Anyways, L posted a status about girls who cake their face with makeup 2 weeks ago, I commented on the status, so did two others that we're friends with, funny remarks went back and forth...and then K comments on it too saying the following: _Being mutual friends and all, this is kinda mean actually. Don't think I would like it if someone else made fun of one of my friend/cousin publicly on FB...just saying._

Alright, fine, np, everyone's got their own opinion, but where do you get that we're talking about your friend, your cousin, or someone YOU know? Why are you sticking yourself into something you aren't even a part of and trying to make it look like it's about you? And I'm your best friend, I love you to death, why would I talk about you or let someone else talk about you or even support it? After K's comment, the others wrote things back but I never said anything. The next morning L bbm's me saying 'I think K took me off Facebook lol...and she took you off too'. I didn't believe it. I went on FB ASAP just to see if she could do that to me...and she had. My best friend had deleted me off Facebook without a warning, without talking to me, without telling me anything, JUST LIKE THAT. She'd done so much shit to me, like backstab me and everything that I'd tell her she'd tell everyone else, and I always just let it go...and she was able to just cut me out of her life over a Facebook status that I COMMENTED on? I really can't describe the feeling of betrayal. She threw away 11 years of friendship just like that? Did I mean nothing to her? Are those 11 years meaningless now?

Lol so when I say my stories and the characters in it are loosely based off my personal life, I mean it. I keep everyone in the story as much in character as possible and then add more to them by picking out people I know in real life and associating them together. EVERY person in this story – Dylan, Tala, Kai, Julia, Mariah, Tyson, even Kenny – are ALL based off people that I know. I say this all the time and I'll say it again: my stories are nothing but stories to everyone else, but to me, it's more like a diary.

**Anyways, xoxo to the following:**

**Zeratheliger –** YOU LIVE IN CHINA? ARE YOU EFFING SERIOUS? Did you grow up in North America and then move there? Or what? Your English is flawless! Tell me about China! In fact, tell me about all the surrounding countries! I've never been out of Canada (well, only once but for 4 months when I was 9 lol) so I have no idea what it's like anywhere else in the world!

**Smiffyizdabest – **DON'T BE A SILENT READER! REVIEW! I heart hearing from everyone! Tell me what you think of the story, the chapter, the characters, the situation, how you are, etc lol. I'm being serious. Regarding a 'scrap' between Tala and Bryan...well...Bryan made a racist comment about Americans...and Tala is American...so :P Not gonna say anything else. Please review! Lol.

**Inside the Box/Map of the Stars – **First of all...what's up with the name? Lol. As for Dylan and Bryan, they DID stop talking right about Bryan made the racist comment. About Enrique and Julia...I shall keep my mouth shut...not good to gossip, you know :P But hey, Enrique's cute! And LOL at you being ghetto haha...are you from a ghetto area? Where abouts do you live? Sorry if I've already asked this lol. Britney Spears...I LOVE HER! Me and a friend are waiting for her to come to Toronto for a concert! I mean I'm sure there's going to be a world tour b/c of her new album, right? Can't wait!

**Fuurai – **Well, my life can't be interesting when I lose a best friend :( And sweetheart, get yourself some cute PJs! Come on now! You're 19! Get your sexy on. Go to La Senza, get their shorts + tank tops or even their satin slips, they're SO cute and you'll love waking up in the morning and looking at yourself. At least I do...LOL! And EW to being stick thin! NO! NO, NO, NO! I hate men who are sticks! BARF! I prefer some meat on my men and they don't have to be a body builder, but I'm a total sucker for guys and nice arms.

**Xxz0eyxx – **LOL AT BAD BOY BABE-LIKE MAN! HAHA! The way you just put all that together haha oh man. And I completely cracked up at the 'yeah dad – so fuck off and let us fuck' part LMAO! I'm cracking up now as I type this HAHA! Lord, the number of times that has happened to me...well, not entirely that situation, but similar lmao. And I love Katy Perry's California Girls!

**Urduja – **Abnormal weather? Where do you live? And isn't Dylan already badass? :P And please update your stories! I miss them :( and one more thing, if you don't mind me asking, but what is your religious background?

**TeenageDream92 – **I feel sorry for Kai's dad too...only b/c he had to watch his son eat his own poo :P About Enrique and Julia...my lips are sealed! And guys NEVER show how much they love their friends! I mean you'll see it here and there but you'll never really see how much they LOVE their friends like us girls do! And yes...my bro and his best friend (yes they love each other! LOL! I always make fun of them) went through my text messages. There were REALLY, um...dirty...text messages in there :| Like stuff you won't even show your best friend! So you can just imagine how I felt. Btw, if you finished a PHYSICS exam...what program are you in? Engineering? And my St. Patty's day was spent at work lol.

**Desastrus – **YOU are a smart reader :P Anyways, on a more serious/upsetting note...I clicked the link you sent me. I have to say, that definitely stirred my emotions as well. I didn't cry but I was about to. It's just...it was written on such a personal way and so it really hits you. And I was trying to picture it too. I was thinking about other random things too like what the man was thinking...how did he feel while he did that for them...what his last words were, what his last thoughts were. I don't know if it's strange to think those. You know, that's what being a human is all about, not all this war and shit. I think that truly defined what we're here for, what we're capable of, and that we're really made up of more good than bad, we just all need to find it in ourselves. Anyways...I don't want to sit and dwell on it forever...congratulations on graduating! This is very exciting news! Have you applied for jobs? What are your next steps?

**The Master of the Hobos – **Haha, I know his name was Susumu (so many U's!) but sometimes I do change the names in my stories. Sometimes I do it so that it can fit in with their backgrounds (for example, they're Russian). But yeah, you're right! I haven't read the manga though...is it possible to read it online? Do you have a link? About Enrique and Julia...I'm not saying shit! :P


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

With Dylan grounded, Tala no longer had the obligation to drop her off to school _or_ pick her up. He glanced over at her as she came through the main door and smirked, "Enjoy the walk home in the snow and the 30 below zero temperatures of Russia, Dill Pickle?" As she gave him the middle finger and headed upstairs, he chuckled in mock before returning his attention to the television.

This was great.

What goes around comes around and whatever Dylan had been passing around, Tala was going to make sure it went back to her.

"I need my laptop today," The blonde, now dressed out of her school uniform, informed as she sat on the other end of the couch.

"Dare to dream,"

"I have to write an essay and it has to be done on a computer. It's due tomorrow,"

Tala shook his head in refusal, "You're going to fool around on it and I can't have that. You're already failing calculus,"

"If I don't have my laptop, I can't do my essay,"

"Use Ian's,"

"Ian said he needs his to do an upgrade on all your beyblades tonight,"

"Fine. Make me a sandwich and do my laundry,"

"Yeah, that's not happening,"

"That's your call," Tala shrugged casually, "But if you need your laptop, those things need to be done," He watched as the blonde let out a noise of frustration before reaching for his Blackberry lying on the coffee table.

"If I don't get my laptop, I'm calling mom,"

The redhead laughed out loud, "Sure, go ahead Tattle-Tale, but I think you're forgetting that_ mom's_ the one who sent you to Russia and made _me_ your legal guardian. That means I can tell you what to do and what not to do," He paused, "And hypothetically speaking, if I was to get into trouble, what the hell can mom possibly do from a million miles away?"

Dylan raised a brow and crossed her arms, "Is that a threat?"

"You bet," Tala grinned, crossing his arms too just to tick her off, "So where's my sandwich?" It had come and when it did, the redhead peeled one slice of bread off the other and made a face, "What the hell? You call this a fucking sandwich?" After all, it was just two pieces of bread glued together with butter. But he decided this was better than having her make something disgusting, soggy, and inedible, "Alright, so go do my laundry,"

"I've never done laundry before,"

If it was anybody else, Tala would have laughed. But this wasn't anybody else. This was a girl who didn't even know how to use a vacuum. The urge to curse his parents was a strong one. Taking a bite out of the 'sandwich' for no good reason at all, he got up and yanked her by the arm, "Come on," She followed him to their room where he dragged out the laundry basket from the closet, "These are dirty clothes," He then looked over at her side of the room, "Do you have anything that needs to be washed?"

"I don't know,"

"Then go and find out, dumb fuck," Giving her a pathetic look, he waited until she retrieved a handful of her clothes and dumped it on top of his. Carrying the basket, he led her downstairs where, before going into the basement where the washer and dryer was located, he forced the door to stay open using one of the kitchen chairs to prevent them from being locked inside, "The first thing you do," He began as he turned the basket upside down, dumping all the clothes to the ground, "is separate your coloured clothes from your white clothes," He picked out one his white tees and a blue one before throwing one to the left and one to the right to aid her visual senses.

"Why?"

"Because, dipshit," A sigh followed as he continued with the task, "Just do as I say,"

And so she did, the pile in the middle shrinking as time went by. Snide comments went back and forth between them until Tala paused, "What..." He pinched up what appeared to be a lacy purple thong, "...the fuck,"

"That's mine,"

"Dylan!" Repulsed, he immediately tossed the _thing_ at her and wiped his hands on his jeans as if to get rid of germs, "That is fucking disgusting! You do _not_ put that kind of stuff with _my_ laundry!" He visibly shuddered, "I can't believe I touched that!"

"Um hello?" She stretched it out with both hands, only disturbing him further and entirely ruining the concept of a girl in a thong for him, "It's just a pantie,"

"So now," Tala started once again when the mound of clothes had been divided into two sections, "You just pick which ever you want to wash first and put them in,"

Nodding, she grabbed the whites and chucked them into the machine while he poured in the detergent and closed the lid, "And then you wait. When this one's done, you put them into the dryer and put the other ones into the washer. After you're done, you fold them,"

"Why do we gotta fold them?"

Really? _Really_? Honestly, it was taking a lot out of him _not_ to throw her into the washing machine and kill her too. Such an extent of stupidity need not exist. Nonetheless, this was why Hayden and Miranda had sent Dylan here: to learn things for her own, to gain knowledge, to become more independent. Having understood that, he patted her on the head, "You just do," Once upstairs, he reunited her with her laptop, but under certain conditions, "No MSN, no YouTube, and no Facebook,"

"I can't get into my Facebook or my MSN,"

"Oh yeah?" Tala expressed false curiosity and concern, "Well that's just too bad," He rubbed it in as he placed the piece of technology on the kitchen table, "Anyways, this is for homework only. If I catch you doing something else, I'll take it back,"

As she rolled her eyes, he left the kitchen and proceeded to finish off the episode of _Two and a Half Men_ on TV. After a few other mindless shows that only the male species could ever be interested in, it was finally time for dinner. With pizza and chicken wings, tonight's meal was evidently an order-in.

The redhead grabbed a seat at the table, but not before looking over at Dylan's laptop screen. A document was open, the title _The Effects of Greenhouse Gases_ centered and bolded followed by...two sentences? "That's it?" He gaped at the screen, "It's been over an hour and that's all you've wrote?"

"Maybe that's all she's written," Ian started, sending his team captain a threatening look, "is because she needs help," Hell no he wasn't defending her. He was merely trying to get rid of her. If she failed this semester she'd have to stay longer and the Blitzkrieg Boys would all take turns choking their team captain to death if that were to happen.

Grabbing a slice of pizza, Tala rolled his eyes, "Then _help_ her,"

"I can't," The indigo haired blader declined, "I haven't finished with any of your beyblades and it needs to be done by tonight,"

"Spencer, then," Another potential 'tutor' was named but when Spencer looked a _little_ too excited with the duty, Tala wrinkled his nose, "Never mind..." He looked around the table to fill the position with another candidate:

Ian was busy.

Bryan and Dylan were beefing.

Spencer was out of question.

Kai was Kai.

"Fine," The redhead sighed in defeat, "We'll finish it after dinner. Anyways," He changed the topic of conversation and faced Ian, "Did you figure something out for Wolborg? _IceClear_ and _Castrol_ just isn't cutting it,"

Upon recognition of the antifreeze and motor oil brands, Kai chewed his current bite slower, "Those are for cars,"

"Yeah..." Ian looked down at his plate, "It's allowed by the BBA..." But when the phoenix's eyes continued to bore into him, he went slightly defensive, "What?"

"Hn,"

Empty boxes of pizza marked the end of dinner and while half the team headed to their rooms, Spencer and Bryan were put on dishwashing duty while Tala and Dylan invaded the living room. They both sat on one couch, the two at opposite ends, paper and textbooks scattered the coffee table, and a MacBook rested on the blonde's lap.

"So..."

"So?"

"So write something!" The older Californian instructed before reaching for one of her notebooks, "Do you know what the greenhouse gas effect even is?"

"It traps heat on Earth?"

"And?"

"Warms the planet?"

"Go on,"

"This is so dumb,"

"Shut up and continue,"

"I don't know, like, it's the greenhouse gas effect so...it has an effect..."

Tala buried his face into the notebook in exasperation, "Do you know anything?"

"I know that you're butt ugly,"

Grabbing a cushion off the other couch, he smacked her across the face with it, disregarding the 'ow!' that followed, "We have to get this done tonight,"

"O-_kay_!" She pulled her laptop closer and searching up material on Google. There was a few minutes of silence while she did her research and he played a demo game on his Blackberry, until... "What's up with Kai and his dad?"

"What do you mean?"

"He came over and wanted to talk to Kai. I thought they were brothers – he looks really young,"

Tala nodded, though didn't bother taking his eyes off his game, "He's 35,"

"That means he was," The blonde scrunched up her face as she counted on her fingers, "He was 16 when he had Kai?"

"Apparently,"

"Wow, dad's 46," She put in for comparison.

"That's because we were _planned_ babies," He then tauntingly looked her up and down, "At least I was. Anyways, I don't know too much about Kai and his dad," He lowered his phone and looked over his shoulder and when he regarded the coast as clear, he continued, but in a whisper, "But if someone's going to have a kid when they're only 16, you can probably imagine some of the shit that can go down. The guy was still in high school when Kai was born,"

"What about his mom?"

"From what I've heard," Once again, he checked his surroundings before speaking, "Whoever the mom was, she just left Kai by Alden's doorstep with his birth certificate,"

"How rude,"

"Yeah, so the guy was a father, he was a student, and he even worked part time to support his kid, but obviously he wasn't home much with so many obligations,"

"That's what Kai's all emo about?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that. Alden wasn't always around to look after Kai, so Voltaire did. That's Kai's grandpa,"

"So what? Our grandpa babysat us too sometimes,"

"_Our_ grandfather is a normal man: he's a retired U.S. Air Force General, he brings us cool stuff every time he sees us, and he loves us, end of story. Kai's grandfather was a sick bastard. He was also the owner of the military school mom and dad put me in,"

"Did he do something to him?"

"Let's just say Kai's had it pretty rough. Anyways, if this conversation ever leaves this room," In a fast move he grabbed her in a headlock, ignoring one of her hands flailing to save her laptop from falling and the other being used to struggle out of his grip, "I'll whoop your ass."

**x x x**

"Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"

"I didn't think we'd find this kind of shit here,"

"Pass the hot sauce,"

Mathilda wrinkled her nose as she watched Miguel, Aaron, and Claude eat – _scarf_ – the Chinese take-out they had ordered for dinner. A sudden _ripping _sound followed by foul odour nearly mad her gag as she eyed Aaron, "Did you just..."

Claude rolled his eyes at the hedgehog, "He farted, big deal,"

"It _is_ a big deal!"

"Then hold your nose," Aaron warned, "Because here comes another one,"

"Holy shit!" Miguel grinned, "That was epic!"

"No," Claude objected, "His first one was louder,"

"What are you talking about? This one sounded like a nuclear bomb,"

"Wait, wait, let me do another one," Aaron bit his bottom lip as he, uh, _tried_, "Third time's a charm,"

Mathilda looked around at her teammates, "You guys are sick!" She tossed her half eaten dinner into the trashcan before leaving the suite in irritation. She was starting to grow tired of being one of the 'guys'. She never even wanted to be one of them, they kind of just assumed such. She was in no way a tomboy but they were definitely eroding her of femininity. She knew boys could be dumb and the littlest things would crack them up and while some things were tolerable, she felt as if she'd reached her cut-off point.

She fumed as she strolled down the corridors with her brows gathered in the center. How did Mariah do it? She was in a team full of men too, but she always managed to keep things real, look polished and feminine, and she was quite the fashionista; you'd never see the girl in sweats with her hair tied into a high bun resembling a bird's next. That was not to say she was high maintenance, she just knew how to take care of herself.

Maybe that was why Tala had a thing for her way back when. A lot of guys of the BBA did.

But that was not the point here. With careful consideration, Mathilda realized that perhaps Mariah was able to hold her ground because outside of the White Tigers, she had an all-female support system.

So did Emily.

So did Miriam.

So did Salima.

So did Julia.

Hilary wasn't a beyblader but she counted too.

And maybe Ming-Ming was fed up with her team, hence her departure from BEGA and her entrance into cheerleading.

Sure, each girl was different in their own way but there was one thing that bonded them together: their age. They were all 19 and although Mathilda was only a few more weeks shy of 17, with precise calculation she was essentially two and a half years younger than the other girls. At first glance a 2 year variance may not sound like a big deal, but in Girl World, it made a _huge_ difference. They were more mature than her, they had a lot more experience than her, especially with men, they were legal, and most importantly, who the hell would want to hang out with someone _younger_ than them?

For sure they were all incredibly nice to Mathilda but none of them were _close_ to her. Anyone could be nice to anyone. And even with Miriam around, sometimes she just felt juvenile. Miriam was like an advice offering older sister, not a _friend_.

After spending some time wandering aimlessly around, she dreaded going back to Barthez Battalion. She fixed a small eyeliner smudge using the reflection from her cell phone as she got inside the elevator. Just as the doors were about to slide closed, another person had rushed inside. Julia.

"Just in time," The Spanish blader wiped an imaginary bead of sweat in relief, "So," She smirked as she hit the 17 button and eyed the shorter girl, "What were you up to?"

"Oh, you know, just..." Mathilda shrugged, "How about you?"

The blonde-brunette rolled her eyes, "Raul was driving me crazy so I went out for a bit. Anyways, how's your training going? You guys go on weekends too, right? At the rec center?"

"Obvs,"

"What?"

"Obviously,"

Julia raised a brow, "Seems like you've been hanging out with a certain _someone_ a bit too much,"

She was confused for a second before deciphering 'someone', "Oh, no, no. We don't hang out. We're not friends. I don't even know why she talks to me, it's just dumb,"

"I _know_, she's so dumb,"

"Oh, I didn't mean she was dumb, I just meant, you know, like how people think we're friends or something. We're not,"

"Well thank God you're smart enough not to be friends with her. She's a bitch and she's trying to use you," She let out a noise of irritation, "And the cunt's trying to ruin everything with me and Tala,"

"Really?" Mathilda widened her eyes, "She is?"

"Haven't you heard?"

The pink haired girl shook her head, "No, not at all. I don't know anything about this stuff except that Tala and Mari -" She gasped suddenly, a hand covering her mouth dramatically, "Oh my God, never mind,"

But it was too late as Julia eyed the young athlete humourlessly, "Tala and Mariah what?"

"No, nothing,"

The Latina grabbed Mathilda by the shoulders, "Tell me what you were going to say,"

"Well, they kind of have history..."

"And?"

"And history kind of repeats itself..."

"What are you trying to say? Just tell me straight up,"

"I don't want to be the one to cause tension between you and Mariah; you guys are friends,"

"You're my friend too and if she's doing something behind my back, you're supposed to let me know,"

"We're friends?"

"What else would we be?" Julia rolled her eyes again, "In fact, just so you're clear on this, I'm inviting you to go out with us on the weekend after training. Now tell me what you know,"

"Well I don't want to mess things up with you and Tala either. If I tell you, he might find out, and if he finds out, I'll get in trouble,"

"I won't tell him, I swear. I won't even tell Mariah,"

"I don't know..."

"I'll keep my mouth shut, you have my word, but please just tell me if you know something,"

Mathilda let out a deep breath, "It's not what I _know_, it's just what it looks like and it looks like Mariah still likes him,"

"How do you know?"

"You can sort of tell with these types of things. Besides, she brings up Tala every chance she gets," She paused, "I mean she probably doesn't do it in front of you for obvious reasons, but every time I've bumped into Mariah, he's the topic,"

"What does she say about him?"

"You know, just stuff, like how it's just too bad that they didn't work out, things like that,"

"She said that?"

"Yeah, and why else would she say something like that unless she still likes him, right?"

Having heard something from rival Dylan earlier and now having to hear this, Julia was evidently pissed off and her body language showed such, "I know she's my friend and I understand that they've had 'history' but she needs to know I'm seeing him now and that's where it stands,"

Mathilda nodded, "For sure,"

"And if she liked him so much then she shouldn't have let him go and that's her problem. Guys like him don't stay single for long,"

"Guys like him also have wandering eyes,"

"So you think he likes Mariah too?"

"I have no idea about that," Mathilda moved her shoulders up and down, both her arms slightly rose simultaneously, "Who really knows? But if you really like him, I would definitely advise you to keep an eye on Tala and Mariah because it looks shady,"

"I can't believe this,"

"Remember, you didn't hear any of this from me,"

Julia bobbed her head up and down in agreement just as the elevator stopped on her floor with a 'ding', "You'll let me know if you find out anything else?"

A smile graced the small girl's lip, "I have your back, Julia,"

And as soon as the lift doors slid closed and Julia was out of sight, Mathilda's naive beam was replaced with a devious smirk, her hands planted on her hips in accomplishment.

* * *

**QUESTION.** Everyone in Exiled is loosely based off people I know in real life so my question to you is which character from this story (NOT the television show) do you relate with the most? And why? Don't just pick your favourite character; I'm talking about who you ACTUALLY relate with from this story personality wise?

**PLEASE REVIEW! You really have no idea how much they mean to me!**

**xoxo bitches.**

**paperplanesxx – **All I'm going to say is you're a VERY smart reader! I wanna make comments on everything you've said but I know other readers read my comments too lol so I don't wanna give anything away but...YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SMART!

**Kickstartmyhart**

**Xxz0eyxx – **She just said "it looks like semen" lol that's it. Anyways...YOU and another reviewer: such smart people! I will say that YES, you ARE on a roll...but that's all I'll say :P And the whole things with Kai, Dylan, and Tala JUST might happen...LOL! I've been in very awkward situations in my life...especially when my bro read my very dirty text messages between me and my boyfriend. I shouldn't even say dirty, they were way beyond that.

**Waffles – **Haha, I like your question! How did this story come to me? It's a bit of everything you listed but it's mostly based on real life events and real people (and yes, I do have detailed plans for it – I know what's going to happen next to what the conclusion will be in the story). But yeah, I don't have THAT much drama in my life but when I have drama...it's very dramatic/ugly/crazy and I do use that in my story. All my boy problems, my friend problems, my best friend's boy trouble, everything is included into this story. The way people get Dylan's name wrong, happens to me all the time, the way Tala is slowly getting into trouble with Mariah and Julia, that happens to me (except it's with men lol) and even the way Dylan is ignorant about what Russia, I'm like that (but not on purpose). Truth be told, I thought Russia was just a big chunk of ice too...until I recently YouTube and Google-mapped it and I'm like oh :| holy shit, wtf? But like I said, I don't think this way on purpose or anything, I'm actually just very dumb...that, and the fact that I've never been out of Canada before. I've only been out of the country once, for 3 months when I was 9, and I went to Bangladesh (my parents are from there)...and I was confused over the food, the culture, the language, I was even surprised they had goddamn shopping carts there. I know it sounds rude, but it's really just lack of knowledge on my part...that's why I sometimes ask where my reviewers are from and when I find out they're from some place other than Canada or America, I ask them more questions because I really want to know what it's like outside of North America. So...where are you from? Lol.

**LovelyKitsune – **I won't yell at you but REVIEW! Lol! I LOVE reviews! It's kinda fun (or even funny :P) to see reviews guess about this story haha. It also lets me know if the reader is confused or not. Please review!

**The Master of the Hobos – **Yeah...I guess I just don't like the name Susumu...LOL! Sounds like a tongue twister haha. As to what Dylan wants with Kenny...stay tuned ;)

**Desastrus – **Tala was defending America :P ...like he'd EVER defend Dill Pickle! And I'm also the oldest sibling. I've just got a younger brother. It used to be great before...I was taller than him and stronger than him. Now he's taller than me and works out :| And it's okay to cheat! LOL! Reading other's reviews (and/or my response to them) will probably give you more insight into the story, so it's a good thing. As to what Dylan is doing or modifying...you'll just have to wait and see! Do the other girls know about Mariah and Tala? You'll find out how much (or how little!) they know about them. And don't worry about sitting at home all day on your laptop...that's exactly what I do and I'm underweight too haha.

**50525** – I haven't forgotten about Dirty Little Secret! LOL! It's just a very hard story to write b/c I've introduced SO many different issues into it (Kai and his dad, Kai and Evian, Kai and Hilary, Tala and Evian, Tala and Dakota, Mr. MaCaffery, BLABLABLA!) and the chapters are so long! I do think about that story and I do open up MS-Word to get on with the next chapter...we'll see what happens. If anything, I'll probably shorten the chapters a bit more so it'll be easier on me. Anyways...about this story...your guess is a very good one :P

**TeenageDream92 – **Bryan and Dylan had an altercation...remember the whole 'you fucking American piece of shit' thing? Pretty racist comment. And Kai might be getting in trouble for more than one thing, yes :P I'm glad you brought up Luka the way you did, no one else did! Watch out for Luka lol. And Mariah thought Tala didn't text her back b/c Julia and Tala were exchanging messages, which in turn means that Tala has his phone with him, WHICH means that yes, he must have gotten Mariah's message and maybe he's just ignoring her. And don't worry about my friend. It was hard but then I realized bitch wtf...she left me! LOL this sounds like a relationship...well, it sort of is! Only with a friend lol. And K and I just changed too...I think we were always different but it was just really starting to get to both of us and then there was another bitch in the middle...so who knows. And you're in Life Sci! I have so many friends in that program! Man, good luck! Please, please, please just do all your work, always go to class, do everything you can! I might go to Centennial in May just to find my way back into university.


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

It was roughly 8:30 in the morning when Tala cracked an eye open, finding himself sprawled on the couch from last night; he assumed he'd just fell asleep here after helping Dylan with her essay. Speaking of the devil, where was she? She should have left the house by now if she were to make it on time to school by foot. He sat up straight only to be taken aback by the presence of complete strangers in his living room, sitting on the other couch.

Immediately the redhead furrowed his brows, "The fuck are you?"

There were three of them, two boys, a brunette and a – get this – pinked hair guy, and a girl, a blonde. The boy with shaggy brown hair was the first to speak, "My name is Luka, this is Edward, that is Vika," He introduced respectively before pointing towards Tala, "And you are...from Blitzkrieg Boys,"

Tala was undoubtedly creeped out. Sometimes fans were prone to do crazy things but breaking into his house and watching him sleep was just some next level stalking, "Yo!" He got to his feet, "Get the fuck out!"

Being a chick, Vika was startled. Edward didn't seem fazed. Luka raised both his hands in defence, "Okay, okay,"

"Go!"

The commotion seemed to seize the attention of Kai who promptly made his way downstairs, "What's happening?"

"Trespassers, man," The captain nodded his head over to the unfamiliar trio.

But with a closer look, Kai realized they weren't _that_ unfamiliar. Grey trousers, all their jackets unzipped revealing a navy full sleeve with a recognizable red insignia, three schoolbags lying close to their feet, and an overall younger physical appearance than himself as well as Tala, the phoenix came to a conclusion: "They're students,"

"Yes," Nodded Luka, "We are friend of Austin,"

"It's _Dylan_,"

Tala looked over his shoulder at his younger counterpart, "You know them?"

"Obvs. They go to school with me," She confirmed as she swung her backpack over her shoulders, "We're walking together,"

Appearing to be the 'cool' one, complete with a cigarette stuck behind his ear, Edward had helped himself out of the house upon Dylan's presence. Meanwhile Luka, the dumb and naive one – and possibly a huge fan of the Blitzkrieg Boys judging by the way he was staring at Kai and Tala in awe and disbelief – stayed put in the living room, and Vika, perhaps the quiet and timid one, leaned towards the cheerleader to whisper into her ear, her eyes motioning in the direction of the redhead, "He try to kill us,"

"Whatevs," Dylan dismissed with a gesture of the hands, "Let's go,"

As they shuffled out of the house in an attempt to catch up to the pink haired Edward, Tala raised a brow sceptically and watched them from the doorway.

And Kai knew why. These people did not seem like the kind of friends Dylan would ever make – they were so _un _-her-type. Unless she'd just 'hired' them as her little slaves...but still, something was off. After all, this was the cheer captain being discussed here, and not just the head of one squad, but _two_: former captain of Harbour High and then upgrading to her current position for the BBA. Men wanted her and women wanted to be like her.

Then of course there was the pack of haters comprised of insecure girls who had nothing better to do with their time or life.

Kai did not exactly consider himself a 'hater', he just deemed the BBA cheer squad as useless, a waste of time, and a joke. Beyblading – a passion of his on an utterly epic level – was none of those things.

Nevertheless, girls like her would hardly ever just befriend people like those at random. Her association with Mathilda was a mystery of its' own. As for her attraction towards Kai himself, that was both normal and odd all at once. Normal, because he was insanely good looking, totally ripped, _and_ an athlete and it was obvious that all she wanted to do was, well, _do_ him. Odd, because he was technically out her league.

Seriously.

Not in terms of looks, but in terms of status.

Why would a cheer captain _ever_ be interested in an anti-social and boring guy like him? Even if it was just for sex. He wasn't downgrading himself, he was only being honest. Sure he was part of the Blitzkrieg Boys, a team only second to the BBA Revolution, but as an individual he stayed out of the spotlight as much as possible.

A _genuine_ chase after Tyson would have made more sense, or even Michael Parker or Johnny McGregor. And when it came to Garland...Kai knew that couldn't be real; there was something strange going on there.

**x x x**

Separating from the three Russians, Dylan displayed the peace sign as a form of farewell before trekking across the snow covered front yard of her house, pausing halfway when she noticed a third vehicle parked in the driveway behind the original Toyota and BMW.

A black Mercedes-Benz.

As she slowly took another step towards the house, she spotted a barely-there Ian standing by the living room windows, concealing himself with the curtains. Then his face poked out a tad bit and he shook his head before quickly hiding behind the curtains once again. The blonde wrinkled her nose; what the hell was that about?

"Excuse me!"

Upon turning her head, she watched as a man emerged from the Benz. And then it had made sense. Alden Hiwatari waved his hand as if to greet her and to tell her to hold on at the same time as he approached her, a large tan coloured envelope in his hands.

"Yeah?"

"I'm Kai's father," He introduced himself again, to which she nodded in remembrance, "I came here to speak to him but no one is home. You have keys to the house?" Catching onto the scenario, she shook her head in decline, "Oh yeah?" He spared the house a glance then looked back at the blonde, "How will you get inside then? Okay, you come with me,"

"Uh..." She attempted to pardon, "I think I should just wait here until they get home,"

"You will catch cold if you wait outside. I take you to restaurant, we eat,"

"I don't know if I'm allowed,"

"Come, come," He laughed, motioning a hand towards his car.

"Um...okay," She agreed as she followed him into his car and as he reversed out of the driveway, she caught sight of Ian with both his brows raised at her actions, Tala standing close behind him mouthing a 'what the fuck?' at her. She only shrugged subtly and within seconds, her home had disappeared into the horizon. She knew not to get into a stranger's car but this wasn't entirely a stranger.

Besides, Kai's dad was _hot_.

"What is your name?"

"Dylan,"

"Dylan?" He tone was one of surprise at the masculine name, "You live with Blitzkrieg Boys?"

"Yeah, my brother's the team captain,"

"Tala?"

"Yup,"

"He has sister? I didn't know," Alden took a second to study her, "You have same eyes,"

"We get it from our dad,"

"I see," A nod, and then, "You think Kai looks like me?"

"Pretty much," She glanced over at him with the corner of her eyes in time to see the satisfied look on his face.

"He also looks like his mother,"

She took the opportunity by the horns, "Where's his mom?"

"Perhaps in a better place,"

"Oh," She'd comprehended the meaning behind it, "I'm sorry to hear that,"

"Well..." He sighed, "You are close to Kai?"

"No,"

"You don't talk to him?"

"He doesn't talk to anyone,"

"He is very quiet boy, much different from Hunter," He paused abruptly to look at her, "That is Kai's friend when he is little," He explained, "So how he is? In good health?"

"Looks pretty healthy to me," Ha, if only Alden knew just how 'healthy' his son looked for Dylan.

"He still drinks hot chocolate in the morning?"

"I see him having coffee sometimes,"

"No, that is hot chocolate. He does not like coffee," Alden smiled, "Where do you like to eat?"

"Anywhere I guess. I don't know this place very well," The confession had resulted in her to end up in a rather surprisingly familiar place, "They have an Applebee's in Russia?"

"They have everything here," Yeah? Then were the palm trees, honey?

**x x x**

Absentmindedly flipping the TV channels, Tala sighed and looked around him. Spencer had dozed off on the other couch, Bryan was making dinner, and Kai and Ian were helping. It was when he finally heard the sound of a car pull into their driveway he leapt off and made his way outside. He waited as Dylan exited the black Benz before pulling her off to the side of the house for privacy.

"If anyone in there asks," He jabbed a thumb at the house, "You were at Mathilda's,"

The blonde overlooked the situation for a second as she waved Alden goodbye and when he'd drove away, she turned to the redhead, "Why?"

"Because Kai's gonna fucking flip if he finds out you went somewhere with his dad,"

"Yeah, and I don't know what his problem is because his dad's really nice,"

"It doesn't matter if he's as bad as Hitler or as cool as Mother Teresa, the point I'm trying to make is none of this is your problem. This is a family matter between Kai and his dad and you don't need to get involved. All you need to do is go to school, graduate, and get the fuck away from me," He counted off on his fingers.

"Are you retarded? I can't hide this from Kai, he'll find out,"

"Kai already knows his dad came by and that all of us pretended not to be home; Ian and I told him that. What we didn't tell him was that his dad took you with him and he doesn't need to know that,"

"His dad wants me to tell him he needs to talk to him about something important,"

"You're not a messenger. You don't understand the situation here, hell even I don't motherfuckin' understand and I live with the guy!" He emphasized with a wrinkled nose, "Just leave it alone. If whatever Kai's dad needs to tell him is that important he'll find another way to do it,"

"Whether I decide to tell Kai or not is my business, sweetheart, not yours',"

"It _is_ my business: you and I are family and Kai and his dad are family and there's a big ass line," He stretched out his arms to indicate said line, "between us and them and if either of us crosses that line, shit's gonna hit the fan, and I'm not even talking about normal shit, I'm talking about violent diarreah, the kind that's gonna fucking splatter everywhere and it'll be hard to clean up because you'll miss a spot," As she gave him a completely lame look, he smacked her across the head, "Look, if you throw yourself into this, you're automatically involving me and I don't wanna fucking get involved. The guy is my friend, we're on the same team, and I live with him; I don't want any drama and tension and if that happens, honest to God Dylan," He eyed the night sky and exhaled out loudly, "I will beat the fucking shit out of you. So just keep your mouth shut, trust me, I'm saving both of our asses here because you're dumb. If his dad comes by again and wants to talk to you, just make up some crap and ignore him. Besides," Hugging himself, he began walking back inside the house, "Kai wants nothing to do with his dad."

**x x x**

The weekend had rolled by at last. Instead of being able to sleep in, however, Mathilda found herself at the rec center to train with the rest of her team. She didn't mind, she quite enjoyed training. She'd never said it out loud nor did she give herself the title, but it was obvious that she was the team's second strongest link next to captain Miguel.

"Alright," Miguel called out, making a 'T' with both hands, "Time out. Fifteen minutes,"

Aaron plopped down on the ground immediately while Claude cracked open a water bottle and the pinkette left the room and headed for the cafe on the main floor; it was where the Queen Bee told her to meet for a quick snack. Scooting into the booth Dylan had reserved, complete with a slice of strawberry shortcake situated at the center of the table along with two spoons, Mathilda smiled, swiping some of the whipped cream and licking it off her finger, "Tastes good, Vagisil,"

"It would taste a lot better off Kai,"

Mathilda scrunched up her face in revulsion, "Gross!"

"It's hot,"

The blader rolled her eyes, "Did you tell him about his dad yet?"

"Tala and Ian are telling me not to, but I think I should,"

"You should,"

The blonde raised a brow, "Really?"

Mathilda shrugged, "I'm not going against Ian or Tala, I mean I understand where they're coming from when they're telling you not to say anything but if _you_ think Kai should know you talked to his dad, then he probably should,"

"Yeah. All his dad told me to tell him was that he has to talk to him about something, he didn't tell me what, he just told me to let him know,"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Exactly!"

"Just talk to him," Mathilda concluded, "And when you do, tell him not to tell anyone that you told him. I don't know Kai but I don't think he's the type to rat you out or anything,"

"He's not,"

"Then you have nothing to worry about,"

"Except his dick,"

The pink haired girl shook her head but couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips, "You're nasty,"

"He'shuge,"

"Okay stop,"

"Like _this_ big," The Californian attempted to demonstrate with her hands, and when Mathilda provided her with a look of dismay, she smirked, "Anyways, Tala said we're all going out for lunch today so you're coming, biatch,"

Having nothing better to do after training, Mathilda nodded in agreement. After her break, she'd gone back to her team to finish training. It had gone on for another two hours, with more breaks given in between, and by the time it was all over she was ready to grab some lunch. Stepping into the corridors, she threw on her jacket as Miguel locked the room.

"So you coming?"

Without even turning around, the hedgehog furrowed her brows. That wasn't Dylan. It sounded an awful lot like Julia. As she looked over her shoulders to catch a glimpse of Julia, Mariah, and Hilary, her assumption was confirmed.

"Going where?"

The Spanish blader rolled her eyes, "We're going out, remember?"

"We're...going out?"

"I told you that day when I bumped into you! Did you forget?"

Kind of. And the only reason she'd forgotten was because she never thought Julia was being serious about the invite. That would mean that Julia was _actually_ a friend, Mariah and Hilary too, which would in turn open doors to befriend the other girls as well and solidify the relationship she had been longing for.

"We'll catch you later at the hotel then, Mathilda?" Claude had said.

"Um..." It was at that exact moment she caught sight of the cheer captain with the Blitzkrieg Boys at the end of the hallway and everything seemed to happen at once. Tala waved at Julia, Hilary had approached Kai, Ian made acknowledgment of Miguel, Claude, and Aaron, Mariah chatted up Bryan and Spencer, all of this leaving Mathilda to make nothing but utmost awkward eye contact with Dylan, "About lunch..."

The blonde gave her a quizzical look, "Yeah?"

"I can't go today..."

And after that she'd just appeared completely baffled, "What do you mean? Why, Mattie?"

Why? Because 3 friends – with the opportunity to make more – were better than 1. And even then, Dylan was never a friend. That's why.

"Julia made plans with me from before," Mathilda eyed the ground uncomfortably, "Sorry..."

* * *

**I AM MOST LIKE...** Dylan and Tala. Let me just drag my bro in here for a second: both him and I have way too much drama with the opposite sex like Dylan and Tala. I think it runs in my family...LOL! My dad had it too, and even my grandpa haha. Anyways, I'm a lot like Dylan in the sense that I do have bitch tendencies (sometimes) and the way she behaves with Kai is the way I behave with a guy I really like...and I don't know how to do any household chores either. I'm also a lot like Tala b/c I'm the older sibling and I have a younger brother and I'm the same way with my brother like Tala is with Dylan. I would also say I'm like Mathilda; I come off as really naive but I know exactly what's going on and I know exactly what you're thinking and thus I'll always be able to manipulate the situation to my liking and be 2 steps ahead of you. It doesn't always play out like that lol but most of the time, it does.

**Anyways** please review! I have so much effing drama in my life right now! :(

**Thank you to...**

**Zeratheliger – **In Canada, we basically live in igloos...LOL! JK! JK! Haha. I live in Toronto, a city that's pretty much like New York. Anyways, holy crap, you're adopted? I've never met anyone who's been adopted so sorry if I sound really surprised (b/c I am). How is it like? And I'm really glad you told me a bit about China, I never would have guessed they have a Starbucks there (I thought we only had it in Canada and America)! You're not boring me at all, I would love for you to tell me AS MUCH as you can about China! Where are you currently living? At a hotel? How long are you supposed to stay? And about Russia, lol, the only reason I'm able to describe it is thanks to Google Maps, Wikipedia, and I've actually just very recently met some people who've either travelled there or are from there! So it really helps! And I've never left Canada b/c we're poor! LOL! I would love to travel but yeah lol money's tight!

**Native-kitten – **LOL YOU'RE LIKE DYLAN? Haha, are you as mean as her? :P

**Kickstartmyhart**

**LovelyKitsune – **LOL I LIKE FRIENDS! I haven't seen all the episodes but whenever its on TV, I'll watch it haha. Good show. Anyways, wow you're like 4 people from the story! I'm glad though, it means that maybe my characters have dimension to them! Thanks!

**Smiffyizdabest – **Yup! Dylan and Tala's relationship is similar to the one I have with my bro (though we're not AS mean!) haha. But the verbal stuff, some of the fights, comebacks, definitely all based off real life!

**50525 – **Haha, you're onto something there with the car stuff :P

**Tany – **Man thank god I'm the older one! HAHA! :P And Tala and the military school, that's just the Abbey, that's all.

**Bellainucullen – **Is it cool to have a brother? Lol...well, it's good and bad. I'm 22, I have a 17 year old bro. Usually we have each others' back lol but sometimes it can get REALLY annoying! He eats all the food in the house! And we still get into physical fights sometimes lol. About living in America, I actually live in Canada (in the city of Toronto). I can't imagine myself living anywhere else! This is my country, its where I was born, and I've never been anywhere else (hence why I don't know anything about countries outside of North America). I'm glad you're from Portugal b/c I want you to tell me what it's like! What is your life like on an average day? What do you guys eat? And how is the weather there? I'm curious!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **LOL is Mathilda turning into Dylan? Hmm...that's for you guys to decide! :P

**TeenageDream92 – **Mathilda, Mathilda, Mathilda...hmm...lol :P how do you feel about her in this chapter? And is first year done for you now? And I'm going to school this May! Yay! And hopefully next January UOIT will take me back :| LOL! I know there's nothing 'wrong' with college but it's just that having to go there after being kicked out of university, like it just feels...I don't know lol...I hope you know what I mean haha. LOL YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY YOU'RE LIKE KENNY HAHAHA! But hey! Kenny always stays out of trouble!

**Xxz0eyxx – **LOL I LAUGHED AS I WROTE THE FART PART LOL! I kept cracking up haha! Oh man lmao. And omg, pink is my FAVE colour in the entire world!

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! xoxo. **


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

"_Mathilda_ ditched _you_?" Tala cracked up into a fit of laughter, smack dab in the middle of the restaurant, "Burn!"

Bryan rubbed his face stressfully while Ian shook his head and Spencer looked dumbfounded, fork in one hand, knife in the other, and the steak on his plate waiting to be eaten. As for Kai, he really couldn't give less of a shit. He didn't even know what the story was but the conclusion for him was, and always had been, that Tala was immature.

Yes, the same Tala that had graduated from the Abbey and nearly helped Boris take over the world a few years back.

"Not that I even really give a fuck but she didn't ditch me," Dylan defended, fork in hand, which of course was being used to eat and not stab the redhead in the eyeball...hopefully, "She was busy,"

"She blew you off, Dill Pickle. Face it, she doesn't like you,"

"And _no_ one likes you,"

Tala dipped a fry into the ketchup on the side of his plate, "That all you got?"

True; was that really all she got? Kai raised a brow at the blonde's surprisingly lame comeback. Subtly observing her from the other side of the table, he practically cross-referenced her behaviour from the time she called Mallory from his room over the Facebook password frenzy to her behaviour right now and they were the same: her blue eyes wandering from thing to thing stopping every so often at something random, her finger tips circling the rim of the glass of water absentmindedly, and the biggest giveaway of how she was _really_ feeling under her well maintained blonde hair and that cheerleader outfit was how she blatantly ignored his presence.

To the outsider, she looked bored to death, to him...well now he knew the truth.

"Like, honestly, I don't even know her that well anyway," She'd shrugged nonchalantly and in the process, perked up suddenly pushing herself to sit up straight, her lips curving into a smile as gave half a wave to someone at another table in the restaurant.

From his seat, Michael Parker raised an arm in the air in a wave and grinned, "Yo! Tala Junior! Sup!"

The real Tala had looked up also, his face scrunching up into a 'oh no you did not!' glare at the All Stars' team captain.

"Watchu lookin' at, foo'!" Eddie was quick to comment, "Go back to Cali and take a dip in Venice Beach!"

"That's right: Venice Beach, Palm Springs, Hollywood, we're the Golden State, and the Terminator was our governor," Tala crossed his arms just to add to the mock, "So go back to Philly and eat your cheesesteak,"

Michael and Eddie tried to conjure up a worthy comeback to the California vs. Philadelphia battle, Rick wasn't even part of the conversation as he had his headphones over his ears, and while Max rolled his eyes and made his way over to the table to greet Kai, Emily had come over as well, but for Dylan.

"We rented a car to explore the city," The ginger spilled, "You can come if you want,"

The blonde smirked, "Coolness,"

"Hey smart one," Tala smacked the cheerleader across the head, "I don't remember you asking me if you could go,"

"Are you _insane_?" Ian threw himself into the situation, "You have to let her go, man, she needs to get acquainted with this place ASAP,"

"Fine," Permission was granted, "But," Under certain conditions of course, "Bring her home by dinner," He eyed both Emily and Max, "She has homework,"

"No problem!" Max assured, "By the way, don't diss our cheesesteak."

**x x x**

Walking in between racks and racks of clothes, Mathilda paused and fiddled with the ruffles on a black top hanging off a hanger. Her fingers quickly trailed to a nearby pair of jeans, her other hand occupied by a latte. Upon hearing Hilary's change room click open, the pinkette promptly made her way over to the vicinity, just in time to catch Mariah making some adjustments to the dress the brunette was trying on.

"It looks nice on you," Mathilda complimented with a smile.

"You think so?" Enquired Hilary as she twirled around, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Mariah winked, "Definitely Tyson-approved,"

"Well, I'd tell you to go for his friend like I always do," Julia started as she stepped out of her own change room, "But Kai's an asshole,"

Mid-sip of her latte, Mathilda raised a brow but remained silent while Hilary dished out her opinion, "Kai is...different," She'd taken some time to pick the right word, no matter how vague it was, "But he's not an asshole, trust me," And trust her everyone should, after all, other than Tyson, Ray, Max, and Kenny, Hilary was next in line to have known Kai the best, and although it might have sounded a bit off, she actually considered him as close a friend just like the other Bladebreakers, "He's just really quiet and I think people misunderstand him for that,"

"No," Julia shook her head, "I thought he was alright and all but not after I realized he has something against me and Tala going out,"

As Mariah wrinkled her nose, particularly because she'd never had that problem when she was seeing the redhead, the brunette gave her two cents, "That doesn't sound like Kai at all. Why do you say that, though?"

"Just his vibe,"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Hilary practically waved off, "I know it doesn't look it, but he's really defensive when it comes to his friends and Tala's one of his best, and since I know Kai, I'll arrange something where you can get to know him better."

The day out had come to an end and after swiping her key card to get into the White Tigers' hotel suite, Mariah dumped the myriads of bags on the floor.

Spotting a Victoria's Secret bag among others, Ray grinned from his position by the stove, stirring something in a fry pan, "What'd you buy?"

"Stuff!" The pinkette smirked, "What are you making?"

"Stir-fry," He lifted the pan off the stove and set it on the small kitchen table, "Hungry?"

"Not really, but I'll try some anyway," She set two plates on the table and grabbed a seat adjacent to the raven haired blader, and as she took her first taster, she smiled, "It's really good,"

"That's because _I_ made it, not _you_," The remark had earned Ray a punch across the arm, "Ow, man," He rubbed the pained area, "So what'd you guys do? Just the mall?"

"Yup,"

"Julia go with you guys?"

"Yeah," Mariah narrowed her eyes, "Um, you know she's seeing Tala right..."

"Whoa!" Ray immediately raised his arms, "That's not what I meant. No, hell no, man. Not interested in sloppy seconds,"

"You and Tala aren't even friends so she wouldn't count as sloppy seconds for you,"

"I wasn't talking about Tala,"

"Then?"

"Nothing your little head needs to worry about," Ray flicked Mariah in the nose with his fingers and dodged another fist coming his way.

"Tell me,"

"Can't," He declined, "Man Law forbids me to speak of these things,"

"Come on, we've known each other forever, you know I won't tell anyone,"

"I can't. Max trusted me,"

Mariah's eyes widened, "_Max_?"

"Fuck," Muttered Ray at his slip up, essentially breaking one of the rules from this 'Man Law' thing.

"You have to tell me now, I have to know,"

"Why do you have to know?"

Because she was a woman. "Because we were just talking about Julia and then you mentioned Max and sloppy seconds and nothing is making sense – what _happened_?"

"Look, very few people know about this," Ray took a deep breath and let it out, "You know how Max and Miriam were going out a little over a year ago, right?"

"Yeah, obviously. They ended up going on a break though,"

"Exactly. And shit happened while Miriam and Max were taking a break,"

"What do you mean 'shit' happened?"

"Well," Ray massaged the back of his neck, really not wanting to spill the details on his best friend, "We all went out, me, Tyson, Kai, Kenny, and Max, and pretty much, we all got fucked up that night," He laughed suddenly, as he reminisced of that night; he'd unknowingly made out with a transvestite, Kenny's glasses had broke, both Kai and Tyson had gotten arrested for public intoxication on the streets of Philadelphia, and Max... "We bumped into Julia and she and Max ended up going back to his place, but in his defence, he was drunk as hell,"

"So?" Mariah raised a brow, "I know they didn't do anything,"

"Obviously you know nothing," Ray rolled his eyes, "Because they fucked,"

Mariah gave the other White Tiger a pathetic look, "Lame story,"

"_True_ story,"

"Julia and Miriam were friends. She'd never sleep with Max in a million years, he's off limits to her. This is impossible, I'm not buying it,"

"Wake up. Where Max and Miriam were supposed to only be taking a break, they ended up breaking up for good and Julia and Miriam aren't friends anymore,"

Everything felt surreal for Mariah as she tried to digest it but ended up choking on her stir-fry instead, turning to the side of her seat and coughing it up while Ray thumped her on the back a few times for ease.

**x x x**

Shortly after Dylan had come home, the Blitzkrieg Boys had had their dinner, and after that, everyone had gone their separate ways like usual. Bryan and Tala were watching something on television, and judging by their laugh every other second, it must have been something comedic; Spencer was probably in the washroom, Dylan had to be in her room doing homework, and this left the unfortunate Kai and Ian to clean up.

"I hate this," Ian muttered as he passed the bluenette a washed dish to dry, "Hey man, what's going on with you and Hilary?"

From the glare Kai had given the indigo-haired blader, it was obvious he was going to remain silent, but then, "What's going on with you and Tala's beyblade?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about,"

Putting his chore on hold for a brief second, Ian stared at his teammate in awe, "Are you the one fixing his -"

"No," He put the last plate in the pile with the others and tossed the dry cloth on the counter before heading for his room. He faltered upon opening his door when he spotted an unexpected slut hanging about in _his_ room, on _his_ mattress, lying on her tummy with her feet flailing in the air with _his_ iPod in her hands and _his_ headphones over her head and ears.

This was really beginning to annoy him.

If, for some reason, Tala were to come upstairs and find her in his room, Kai knew he'd be the one getting in shit. She may too, but at least 99 percent of it would be shifted onto him just because he was a guy. They'd already had way too many close calls, some of which the redhead had even walked in on where Hilary was used as an excuse.

Closing the door behind him, he stood by his bedside, his arms folded over his chest in his signature seriousness and when she'd noticed, she pushed one of the pads off her ear and paused the MP3 player, "Hi,"

"Get out of my room,"

"I have to talk to you about some -"

"Read my face: I'm not interested," He plopped down on the bed and proceeded to lie on his side, facing away from here, "Now leave," He felt her move around the bed but instead of getting off it like he hoped she would, she only travelled closer to him, taking one of his arms and rubbing and pressing it like it was playdough. He opened his mouth to protest but decided against it; it kind of felt good.

"You know," She began, "I had no idea Russia had movie theatres," The bluenette cracked an eye open and slowly glanced over his shoulder to give her a mildly offensive look, "What? I didn't know," She rolled her eyes in defence, "It's not like you take me out, hint, hint,"

"That's a lie; I've taken you out,"

"Maybe you should take me out more,"

"Don't count on it,"

"Well you'll have to take me out anyway so that I can help you with Hilary to prepare you for dates and stuff, and while I'm doing that you can probably show me around," There was a brief pause, and then, "Do you guys have malls here?"

"I'm not going to answer that,"

"What about IHOP?"

"What is IHOP?"

He heard her gasp, "You don't know IHOP? Everybody knows IHOP,"

"What is it?"

"It's this breakfast place, you get pancakes and waffles and all that kind of stuff. It's pretty cool and some of them are open 24/7," She pushed him slightly, gesturing him to lay on his front. He did, putting his arms over his head, burying his face into his pillow, and soon felt her weight on him as she sat on his bum. She really wasn't heavy, about 105 pounds if he had to guess, and he bench pressed more than that so this wasn't a problem at all. Her hands reached his shoulders and back and alternated between giving him a squeeze to her thumbs rubbing in circular motions, "It'll be easier if you just take off your shirt," She'd managed to add, and though she had a point, he knew she just needed an excuse. Nonetheless, he discarded the grey t-shirt; he figured if a bitch was going to give him a massage at the end of a long day, he was going to let a bitch give him a massage at the end of the day. With gyming and training, his muscles could really use this.

Besides, she was good with her hands. No dirty pun intended...yet.

"Other side," The blonde instructed as she lifted herself a little, giving him room to turn around before she took her 'seat' again. The rubdown commenced again, this time on his chest, and although it was purely innocent – for once, surprisingly – it felt a lot more intimate. Maybe it was because he was facing her this time. Maybe it was because he got to watch her hands all over his bare skin. Maybe it was because what she was doing wasn't something he could imagine another female like Hilary or Emily or Miriam or whoever doing without feeling weird about it. Maybe it was because the way she leaned over to grab his pecks gave him the best view of her cleavage.

Who really knows?

"So I have to tell you something," She didn't bother looking at him as she spoke, "But you can't get mad,"

Kai gave Dylan a quizzical look. She was irritating and constantly harassed him but she'd never truly made him mad, and thus, he wondered what she could have possibly done, "What?"

"You have to promise you won't be mad and you can't tell anybody I'm telling you,"

"Hn,"

"It's about your dad," And when he raised a brow, she'd gone on the defence, "You said you won't get mad!"

"You haven't even said anything yet,"

"You look mad,"

"I look like this all the time,"

She shrugged a little and nodded as if to agree before taking a deep breath, "Well," It was like the calm before the storm, "Basically,"

He was growing impatient, "Cut the bull and tell me,"

"He took me out the other day,"

As if his WTF facial expression wasn't enough, he'd verbalized it, "What the fuck?"

"I mean I didn't _want_ to go or anything, he kind of made me. I didn't know how to say no, like, he's your _dad_, you know, so..." She trailed off, "You're mad,"

No fucking duh. What did she expect? For him throw sparkly confetti in the air? He was mad, _so_ mad; he'd told her to stay out of his life and he'd told his father to stay out of his life as well and two people who he'd warned to stay _out_ of his life were working together to pry their way _into_ his life. But he realized his current behaviour would only keep her tight-lipped, "I'm not," He lied, at the same time giving her the okay to continue.

She told him everything from which restaurant they'd gone to, to what Alden had ordered, what she had ordered, and other unnecessary details only a female would ever give out like the name of their waiter and even what the weather was like that day.

"He talked to me, just normal stuff, like about your friend Hunter from when you were little,"

"I don't recall a Hunter from my past,"

She'd shrugged casually, "I don't know then, maybe you forgot about him or something, but anyways, your dad wanted me to tell you that he needs to talk to you about something," There was a moment of silence where he stared at her absentmindedly and she stared at him in confusion, "So are you gonna talk to him?"

"I have no desire to speak with him, no,"

"But why? He seems like a really nice man, he's always asking about you, and he's trying _so _hard to talk to you; I have some friends back home whose parents don't give two shits about them. You have to have a reason to not like your own dad. Did he do something?"

"That should not be any of your concern,"

She let out a sigh, a sign that she was letting the matter go...for now, "Okay," Her fingers played around his bangs, "Goodnight."

The end.

...

Pssh, it was the end when Kai said it was the end and clearly it wasn't the end as he yanked her towards him by her arm. He moved some blonde strands out of the way as he kissed her forehead before releasing her, "Goodnight," And when she looked shocked, he decided to clarify, "For Hilary,"

"Look at you," She grinned, catching on, "Fast learner,"

"Hn," He rolled to his side, essentially forcing the blonde off of him, "Now get out of my room."

* * *

**STORY HINTS. **Analyze these things carefully (like magnifying glass carefully!).

**Tala and Dylan. **Examples: Chapter 30 Dylan's Facebook status and the comments; chapter 31 bathroom scene; and you can use Mallory to learn more about the siblings.

**Dylan and Mathilda and Kai. **Whatever was on Dylan's camera was shared with Mathilda but REMEMBER...Kai saw it too but Dylan and Mathilda (or anyone else for that matter) don't know that. When Mathilda dropped off her launcher she hid it in Dylan's dresser and left a note; Kai was able to decode the note and find out about the launcher.

**Other secrets. **Kai is also the only one that saw Dylan's jersey, saw her with Wolborg when everyone else was sleeping, and while everyone thinks he fixed his car only he knows that Dylan fixed it (ie., only Kai was exposed to the fact that Dylan knows about cars).

**Dylan/Kai/Hilary. **ANALYZE! Nuff said.

**Tyson/Hilary/Kai. **Analyze...

**Dylan/Tyson/Hilary. **...lol

**Mariah/Tala/Julia. **Oh lawwwd!

**Mathilda. **She's her own fucking category! But watch her carefully. She may not be an IMPORTANT character, but she plays a very (VERY!) pivotal role.

**Clearly there's some serious pimpin' going on here :P There's more but I'm just trying to make everyone open their eyes and watch out for any and everything. **

**R and R bitches!**

**Thank you...**

**SouthernDragon – **Ooh! You paint? Pics! And if you're surprised by Kai's dad just popping up...let me tell you :P there's a lot more surprises coming up! And as for all the things you said in your review, I'm going to keep my mouth shut! Ha ha! Review!

**Xxz0eyxx – **Dylan did sound pretty upset at the end of last chapter :P

**SongOfTheShadows**

**LovelyKitsune – **Well it's KAI'S dad...he HAS to be hot! And he's not even that old! LOL! I'm not a pervert :( About 4/20, yup, its celebrated here! I've never actually smoked weed believe it or not (and I'm from Toronto! It's like weed central here lmao). My friends do it, my bro has done it, I don't know if I'll ever try it or not, I probably will, just to see how it's like. Btw the end of your review made me laugh haha.

**Native-kitten**

**CryMeOut – **IT'S OKAY! Lol I know what it's like to have a boyfriend...as soon as I got my first boyfriend (when I was 18), I wasn't on FanFiction for like 3 years! It was partly b/c my stories are like a journal and when I got a boyfriend, I figured he could be my journal and there was no point in this. But something brought me back to this lol...he doesn't know I do this LOL! About Kai's dad...we'll just have to wait and see! And yes...there is a LOT of shit-stirring going on with a big wooden spoon! Wanna lick the batter? LOL!

**50525 – **I went to King, what about you?

**Kickstartmyhart – **Thank you! I really wanted people to notice the character development!

**PhoenixxLament – **Before I say anything lol I just want to say YES! LOL! You're the ONLY reviewer that noticed the Stereo Love singer/names! I was listening to that song when I came up with the names and I needed something Russian so I'm like THIS WORKS! HAHA! Oh man, I couldn't believe you picked up on that! LOL! About all the things you came up with for the story, I'm going to say they are very good guesses! But that's all I'm gonna say! :P

**Freekiellie – **Your review totally made my week! I read it like 10 times LOL! And about the flame I got, yeah I pretty much ignored it lmao it wasn't even about the story it was about religion and I'm like waaa? LOL! And I'll try to give as many hints as possible for the story! Not to worry! REVIEW!

**Zeratheliger – **I was so shocked to read about the racism thing in your review! Yeah, I could never imagine something like that happening in American and Canadian schools! I know this one teacher in high school made a really vague remark about blacks (she said something like "you guys are lazy!" and she was joking too) and she got suspended for a year. About the swearing out loud in public LOL! Ha ha! That cracked me up LMAO!


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

It was past 2 AM and although everyone else was in bed, Kenny was still up. After adding some finishing touches to Tyson and Daichi's beyblades for their next match, the brunette leaned back in his chair and sighed in relief and success. He yawned and just as he was about to call it a night and head to bed himself, his eyes fell on the piece of paper beside his laptop. Pulling it close, he re-examined the paper covered in rough sketches and brief descriptions in pink ink.

The idea was very complex, one that would take more than just a day's worth of work to put in place...and _absolutely_ brilliant. Grabbing a pen off the table, he added in some estimations to aid him later in which these modifications would be put in place for the beyblade in question. Putting the paper aside, he decided to give the creator of the idea an update. Logging onto Facebook, he navigated to her profile, hit 'Send Message' and typed up the composition.

_Hi Dylan,_

_I would like to let you know that your proposal is attainable. However, in order to achieve a flawless result there will be a few obstacles that we will need to overcome. First, it will take me some time to come up with accurate calculations (which I have already started working on). I am not familiar with cars and their functionality so you will have to be in charge of possible materials that can be used. Your presence will also be required when we build this because I have never done something like this before for a beyblade. _

_I will keep you updated._

_-Kenny_

_PS: For the sake of both of our valuable lives, I highly recommend making a prototype before we go messing around with his beyblade..._

**x x x**

Following their Sunday morning training, the White Tigers headed back to their hotel suite for lunch. While Ray quickly cleaned the kitchen counter with a cloth, Mariah got a few items out of the fridge. Filling up a pot with water, the raven haired blader watched the pinkette with the corner of her eyes as she chopped up the bok choy, "So what crawled up your ass and died? Or what's crawling out of your womanly parts..."

"Ray!" The whine was followed by an eye roll, "That's gross. And I'm not on my period,"

The ex-Bladebreaker shrugged, "You seem..._meh_,"

"I'm not meh,"

"You're meh,"

"Stop saying meh,"

"...meh,"

Placing a hand on her hip, Mariah gave her childhood friend and teammate and pathetic look, "I'm holding a knife,"

"Alright, alright, tell me what's up,"

"I don't know," She sighed, "I guess I'm still shocked by the whole Julia and Miriam thing. They're my friends, Ray, and I know I told you to tell me, but I wish I didn't know. I just don't know what to think, I don't know how to feel about this, I just don't know,"

"What's done is done, let it go,"

"And," She looked over her shoulder to check if the coast was clear of everyone else, especially Lee, "Tala's been ignoring me; I don't know why,"

"That's impossible," Ray declined, "I don't know Tala that well, but I know that no guy randomly stops talking to a girl unless she did something really shitty," Having said that, he gave her a quizzical look.

"We had an argument," She confessed, "But it wasn't even that bad,"

"Anytime in that argument did you make fun of his manhood?"

"No!" She exclaimed, after all, if anything, she would _praise_ him for that.

"Good, never do that, it kills a man's self esteem," He clarified before moving onto the next prompt, "Did you insult something that's important to him? Maybe his beyblading skills?"

"No, nothing. I mean we both said things that we probably didn't mean, but like I said, it wasn't that bad of a fight. I even said sorry,"

"And?"

"He ignored it,"

"Give him space then,"

"I gave him enough space. I don't get it, he's never ignored me like this, especially after I've apologized. He's not that kind of guy,"

Ray set the pot on the stove, "Is he important to you?"

"Well not like _that_, I mean obviously he's still someone I talk to and he's a friendso in that sense he's important, but not in any other -"

"Okay stop," He cut her off, "Stop," He repeated and looked at her seriously, "Just answer the question: is he important to you? Don't analyze it, don't give him a label, just yes or no,"

"Yeah, he is,"

"Then talk to him,"

Mariah wrinkled her nose, "What?"

"Look, obviously you're bothered by the fact that he's ignoring you and since you don't have any idea why he's doing it and since he's important to you, find out what's going on,"

"Really?"

"Trust me, I'm a guy, I know what I'm talking about. Confront him, but don't annoy him,"

"How would I do that? He won't reply to my texts and he's not picking up my calls,"

"_Something_, I don't know what, but _something_ tells me you know where Tala lives," Ray noted sarcastically as he dumped a few cups of rice into the boiling water.

**x x x**

Mathilda couldn't remember the last time she'd been so bored on a weekend. She checked her cell phone for what seemed to be the hundredth time; still nothing from 'Tala'. It was unusual behaviour. Calls and texts from Dylan were very frequent and coming over on the weekend was something Mathilda – and the rest of Barthez Battalion for that matter – had gotten used to.

She lazily reached for Aaron's laptop, logging into Facebook casually, soon finding herself creeping the Queen Bee's profile. She didn't know why she did it. She hadn't even done it consciously. She just did it. There was a really stupid status again, courtesy of Tala, and on top of that, it appeared that many people were aware of account being hacked, the situation waging war on her Facebook wall between her friends and the imposter.

**_Michael Parker _**_tala likes cock_

**_Tala Ivanov _**_r u offering_

**_Michael Parker _**_wtf_

**_Hayden Ivanov _**_Is this true?_

**_Eddie Wheeler _**_^LOLOLOL_

**_Dylan Ivanov _**_i makeout with my pillow and hump it like an animal_

**_Mallory Parsons _**_lol_

**_Sarah Elizabeth _**_PEOPLE DONT BELIEVE THIS IS DYLAN! HER DUMB BRO HACKED HER ACCOUNT!_

**_Kyrone Bell _**_foreal her bro has her password? hahaha_

Who knew Tala could be so juvenile? Mathilda rolled her eyes, absentmindedly clicking on the pictures from the night they had gone out with the All Stars. The photos ranged from Michael and Eddie chopping some chicks, Rick chugging a beer, Max on his phone, pics of just the girls, and finally, one of herself and Dylan.

It was right in the middle of the dance floor with strobe lights shining down on them, the smoke from peoples' cigarettes giving the picture a slightly hazy effect. Their heads leaned in towards each other, touching practically, one of their arms casually around each other, their free hand clutching on their cell phones and drinks – a cranberry vodka for the blonde and a rum and coke for Mathilda – and a smile plastered on both their faces made the picture literally picture perfect.

Mathilda would never forget that night. Well actually, given the number of drinks she'd had that night, that wasn't entirely true, but she knew for sure the amount of fun from that night could never compare to anything else. How did she even get home again? Oh well, who cares, that wasn't important.

Her shoulders slumped as she stared at the picture, specifically at the blonde, and then looked over at her dormant phone. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the cell, and, for the first time, decided to make the first move. Finding the desired name in her phone book, she hit the call button: "Um, hi, can I speak to Dylan?"

**x x x**

Sitting on one of the couches with his feet up on the coffee table, Ian was doing something on his laptop while Bryan watched from beside him. From the other couch, Spencer flipped the channels on TV, the remote gripped into his hand pretty much lifelessly, Kai had occupied himself with a 'brain game' on his iPhone, the only female in the house sat filing her nails, and the redheaded team captain was practically falling asleep from boredom, his head drooping forward every now and then. The ring of his Blackberry had woke him up for good, however, and he quickly reached for the phone on the coffee table. He'd expected his parents or Julia to be calling. What he didn't expect was _Mattie_ calling.

He'd accepted the call but handed the phone over to the blonde right away, "It's for you,"

"Hello? Oh. Hi. Yeah, I'm kinda busy. I'm doing homework. Yup. K. I'll call you later. Bye," And just like that, the call ended as fast as it started.

Tala was amused, "Is Dill Pickle _mad_ at Mathilda?"

"Why would I be mad at her? Like, I don't even know her,"

The redhead shrugged at no one in particular before letting out a yawn and stretching, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

"You tell me," Bryan glared at the captain and then the rest of his teammates, "No one did the groceries,"

Crickets chirped as everyone played a staring game in the living room, Tala eyeing Ian, Ian eyeing Spencer, Spencer eyeing Kai, Kai not being able to care less.

"Not it!" Tala shouted first, with an arm enthusiastically in the air.

"Not it," Ian was quick to follow.

"Hn," ...AKA, don't count on Kai either.

"Not it," Spencer added.

"Well," Bryan sighed, "Either someone gets them right now or you all starve. You take your pick,"

"I ain't going to bed without food, fuck that," Tala decided immediately, "Ian, you're in charge of groceries. Go get 'em, we hungry,"

"What the hell? I'm always doing something, make Spencer go,"

"Me?" Scoffed the huge blonde, "Make Kai go, he never does shit except take a shit,"

"Yeah," Dylan smirked, "I think Kai should go,"

"I pick Kai, too, then," And in an intelligent move, Ian's input had already made it three against one.

"Fine by me," Tala eyed the bluenette, "Go get the groceries, bitch,"

And any threatening looks from Kai were diffused by Bryan, "The vote doesn't lie,"

Needless to say, the phoenix had lost this battle. Quickly pulling a hoodie over his head and putting his jacket on, he grabbed his phone and car keys and was out the door.

To a surprise.

Well, knowing Dylan, it probably shouldn't have been a surprise. She stood by his car, apparently ready to go with him.

"You're not coming," He stated.

"Oh, believe me, hun, I don't want to," She rolled her eyes, "But if you want to get into Hilary's pants before Tyson does, you'll have to let me help you. Look at this as another practice; I'm just going to assess your interaction skills with a girl and at the end of the night I'll tell you how you did and if there's anything you need to work on,"

"You're still not coming,"

"Tyson -"

Annoyed, he came up real close to her, "Is there any part of me that physically resembles Tyson to you?"

"Not really,"

"Thought so,"

"I mean he's kinda cute, so..."

OOOOHHH! DAMN! He raised a sceptical brow as if to say 'really, bitch?' before unwillingly pulling the passenger door open, "Get in,"

"Chivalry," She grinned, "Nice. You get a point for that,"

"Likewise," He closed the door and walked around to get to the driver's seat, "For using such a big word," The insult was subtle and clever and his way of getting her back for the Tyson-comment.

"So," She began and Kai could only wonder what topic of conversation would arise this time, "Who is Mariah?"

"You've met her,"

"I know who she is, but I don't, like, _know_ who she is," She elaborated, though the bluenette had difficulty understanding the dialogue of Girl World, "What's her deal with Devil Horns?"

"Don't know, don't care,"

"Were they dating?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because Tala's my bro and I have a _lot_ of love for him," She'd placed a hand over her chest.

"Right..." Kai would _never_ buy the false affection whether it was from Dylan or Tala. What the siblings had for each other was definitely far from love. They didn't get along and probably didn't care all that much about each other either. And when Michael had coined the nickname 'Tala Junior' for her, he had reason to. Nah, they didn't look that much alike, except for a few things here and there, but their personality was similar.

Their destination finally came into view and after parking the car, Kai took the key out of the ignition and leaned into his seat, "Go get the groceries," The look on her face was more priceless than a MasterCard commercial, "You insisted on coming so I was put under the impression that you want to get the things. Here's the list and here's the money. Go,"

"Kai, sweetheart, no," She let out a deep breath and shook her head, "That's not how you treat a lady. This is an asshole move,"

"I guess I'm an asshole then," He didn't bother looking at her, missing out on the pathetic look and eye roll she was giving him as she got out of the car. Nonetheless, he waited a few minutes before strolling into the grocery store himself and after going through a few aisles, he found her.

And her shopping cart full of errors.

Where she should have gotten beets, she got plums. Where she was told to get sour cream, she'd picked up yogurt. And a lettuce head was mistaken for cabbage.

"So you decided to come,"

Uh, thank _God_ Kai decided to come, "This is all wrong," He noted as he took over the cart, quickly trading everything for the right ones before looking at the grocery list. Mentally checking off all the things, he concluded that he'd pretty much gotten all the items. Well almost everything. He eyed the blonde, "Go find those cookies you eat,"

"The chocolate chip ones?"

"Whatever you have at night with your milk, I don't care,"

The groceries were finally paid for and then dumped into the trunk of the BMW and it was off to home. Or so she'd thought. She wasn't entirely familiar with the streets but she did manage to pick up that he'd taken a completely different route, "Aren't we going home?"

"No,"

"Then?" But her enquiry went without a reply and she didn't bother with further questions. She assumed they were going to a gas station to fill the tank or maybe he needed to see Tyson or one of his old teammates for something. Neither guesses were correct as she watched him pull into a random parking lot, a few other vehicles present. The door opened from his side as he left the car and she instinctively did the same, locking and shutting the door behind her and following him to Lord knew where. They strolled across the parking lot which led them into a vast open area. It was lit up quite well, an entire building covered in white lights, another structure off in the distance resembling what she could only describe as the house made of candy from _Hansel and Gretel_. Nonetheless, it was a spectacular sight and definitely different. There were others walking around as well, some couples, some families, and tourists. _American_ tourists. There were others, but obviously for her, her kind had naturally stood our more. With that came a great level of comfort and seeing a guy with an L.A. Dodgers hoodie made her feel that much closer to home. After a couple of more minutes fantasizing of the land of her birth, she snapped back to reality, "Where _are_ we?"

"Red Square,"

"What's Red Square?"

"Where you are," Sigh; only Kai could ever get away with smart ass answers that always seemed have a sarcastic and slightly demeaning undertone. He paused abruptly and pointed out a building, "Just as the President of the Unites States lives in the White House, the President of Russia lives in there,"

"Oh yeah?" Her eyes shifted to the life size gingerbread house look alike, "What's that one?"

"St. Basil's Cathedral. When you Google California, the first images you'll see is the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hollywood sign. If you do that with Russia, this is what you'll see. It's the country's landmark," He watched her nod in understanding, her mouth slightly and unconsciously open while she took in her surroundings.

"This is..."

This is the start of a stupid comment, he was sure. Everything that came out of her mouth seemed to be anyway. At least unlike others, Kai was always ready for foolish remarks from fools. Tyson had prepared him well.

"...actually pretty cool,"

The bluenette raised a brow in surprise; what was this? A stamp of _approval_ from _Dylan_? Not that he was fishing for it in the first place, but to see her truly impressed by something was completely new to him. He had never seen this side of her before and it was just really interesting to get such a natural and honest reaction out of her. It was nice for a change.

"Hn," Kai smirked, his arms crossed in accomplishment along with that signature close-eyed look, "Don't say I don't take you out."

* * *

**SEXUAL ASSAULT. **Some serious fuckery happened to me at school this Thursday (I started school this May). I was sitting on a bench after class, calling my mom to pick me up. Meanwhile, a man of about 36/37 randomly sits beside me (even though there were other benches available). He was new to Canada and started asking me weird questions: "In this culture, people shake hands a lot, right?" I didn't know what he was getting at but I said "Yeah" and went back to playing on my Blackberry to avoid him. But he continued: "And hugging is also normal?" And I just mumbled a "Yeah, normal with friends and stuff," and from there he concludes the following: "So hugging and kissing is normal in this culture". I didn't really say anything and there was silence for a few seconds when suddenly he gets up and stands right in front of me and sticks out his hand. I was kinda like oookay but shook hands anyway and as I did, he pulled me up and grabbed me. It was uncomfortable, awkward, and really scary considering I'm only 5'5 and weigh 97 pounds. His legs were spread open and he was squeezing me, like my boobs up against his chest. At that point I was just like WTFWTFWTF but it got worse. He tried to kiss me and I turned my face to the side and he kissed my cheek and he wasn't letting go and he kept saying "Kiss me, kiss me!" and trying to force me.

There was an elevator to my left and just when the guy got physical, a professor walked by and waited for the elevator and watched us. The prof didn't do anything at the time b/c I didn't scream or anything like that, all I did was tell the guy "Um okay...okay..." like okay stop, that's enough, and finally I pushed away, grabbed my purse, and ran into the elevator. The prof came in with me and kept smiling at me b/c my face was completely red, I was so embarrassed an shocked and just like wtf happened. The prof then goes "Your boyfriend?" and I say "No! I don't even know him!" and the prof is like "Wtf?". I tell him what happened and he told the chairman of the school or something and apparently this was sexual assault. I had to give a statement, the prof was my witness, the camera had picked up the whole thing, and they were asking if I wanted to take it to court, and all this stuff. The guy ran off but they found him a few hours later.

...

I really don't know what to say. I don't know why weird shit always happens to me. And I didn't really handle it that well to be honest; I didn't scream or make a scene or anything, I was just too shocked to do anything, like so unprepared. Like even when he was kissing me, I just moved my head back and kept saying "Okay...okay" like, okay that's enough. I just didn't know what to do.

**Annnnyways...thanks to:**

**PhoenixxLament – **LOL! I read fanfic on my phone too but I just got rid of my data plan (internet) on my phone this week b/c I can't afford it! :( I'll get it back in a few weeks. And if you think the Max and Julia thing was OMG...wait for the shit that's about to come :P

**LovelyKitsune – **LMAO I think ANYONE fighting with Kai would be hilarious. He just pwns with his comments lmao haha. And about Boris...who knows? Maybe he'll make a surprise visit...LOL! I'm keeping my lips sealed :P And your review made me feel so good, I love you!

**Smiffyizdabest – **Your review wasn't lame! Xoxo

**Peroxxide Priincess – **I love how you analyzed Mathilda lol. And I will try with DLS! I actually did write the next chapter but its only 8 pages long so... :S

**Freekiellie – **Don't worry! I wear glasses and I'm still blind! LOL. And there will be a LOT of drama (A LOOOOT!)!

**Xxz0eyxx – **Your guess is really good! But I'm not gonna say anything! :P

**JuneCharm – **First of all, THANK YOU! I'm so glad at least someone reads my comments at the end of chapters haha. And thanks so much for your review!

**SouthernDragon – **HilaryxKaixDylan...I will say that girls can be very catty when it comes to guys :P Trust me I know :|

**50525 – **No, not King City (I don't even know what/where that is!). King as in RH King Academy and I also went to Winston Churchill for a year...and I almost got kicked out of there for skips too lol. What do you do now? What part of Toronto are you from? And your guess about Dylan is a really good one!

**Zeratheliger – **The guys in Canada and the US are pretty much like the guys in this story. I portray the Blitzkrieg Boys, Tyson, Max, Johnny, and all the guys as real guys! Some guys are really perverted and gross and just wanna do you, some are really, really, really stupid, and some are just ugly. There doesn't seem to be any other category! I haven't found a 'good guy' yet, like an actual GOOD GUY. And it's sooo frustrating. About chapters, I have no idea how many it will have! LOL!

**R AND R!**


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

The crowd cheered as Claude attained the first victory for Barthez Battalion, the cheerleaders off to the side doing the same. "Good job," Miguel praised, "Mathilda, you ready to win the next round?"

The pinkette nodded, taking her beyblade and launcher with her as she walked up to the platform.

"Bladers are you ready!"

Mathilda readied her beyblade and instead of eyeing her opponent, she eyed the sidelines only for her heart to literally skip a beat or two as she watched Dylan move past the other cheerleaders to leave the arena.

"3, 2, 1..."

Why was she leaving? Wasn't she going to watch and cheer for her? She cheered for the All Stars during their battle, she rooted for Kai to the point of losing her voice when the Blitzkrieg Boys were up, so why not for her? That's what cheerleaders were supposed to do, weren't they? It was her job; why wasn't she doing her job?

"Let it rip!"

The hedgehog launched her beyblade, wrinkling her nose at the faulty landing in the dish, creating some sparks and emitting an irritating noise making most of the audience cringe in reaction.

"Don't worry!" She could hear Miguel yell from the benches, "You got this, Mathilda!"

_"I'll call you later_". She hadn't called back at all. Mathilda frowned as she glanced over her shoulder slightly; was Dylan _actually_ mad? For what, though? After all, she really did have plans with Julia and the others way before the blonde had asked!

"What the hell are you doing!" Aaron had exclaimed from behind.

Dylan was just being a bitch. Mathilda didn't owe anything to her. It was true that she picked the other girls over her, but why wouldn't she? First of all, the Californian was never a friend, and second, to be friends with the girls of the BBA was something she wanted for a long, long, _long_ time. They were great, they were nice, they were fun, and Mathilda really couldn't complain, but...

"Mathilda stadium out!"

The clank of her beyblading landing by her foot in loss snapped the pink haired girl back to reality. A painful and unexpected reality that could have been avoidable.

"Damn," Ian remarked as he watched the battle on TV in their locker room of the stadium, "She could have won that easily, that was one of the new teams,"

"Shit happens," Tala shrugged.

"So we going out for drinks or what?" Spencer chimed in with a reminder and the team captain nodded.

"Just waiting on Julia; she's supposed to meet us here and then we'll leave,"

Amethyst eyes shifted to the redhead, "So you've invited her to come out with us, then,"

"Obviously," Suddenly, it hit Tala, "Why? Is there a problem?"

"Not on my part,"

"Okay then..." Tala rolled his eyes, the sudden silence quickly to be replaced by the Queen Bee's presence as she stepped into the locker room.

"Are we going out?"

"We're waiting for Julia,"

"Oh," The blonde smirked and crossed her arms, "How lovely of her to join us,"

"It better be _lovely_," The older Ivanov got up and hit the blonde over the head with several rolled up BBA pamphlets, "Or I'll kick your ass,"

"Tala? Kick somebody's ass? Wow, that's new. The steroids you're secretly taking must be helping with this newfound self-confidence. It's just such an awful shame that it's not enough to do anything to Garland," She shook her head in false pity, "Last I heard, you had your itty bitty behind handed to you by him,"

"What a coincidence," The redhead began, "It's almost like how you had your ass handed to you by Mathilda. She's smaller than you too, no? So sad, your only 'friend' no longer a friend. Come to think of it," Tala stared into the ceiling in thought, "You actually don't have _any_ friends,"

The duel ceased to continue as Julia made an entrance and before they knew it, the group of seven found themselves at a lounge.

"She's underage," Tala pointed out to their server, not in a protective brotherly way, but in revenge, "She can't have any alcohol,"

The male server raised a brow at the blonde, "Do you have ID?"

She unzipped her jacket and pulled the ends apart to give him a view of her assets, "Do you have eyes?" As his lips parted into a dopey 'O', the cheerleader outfit doing her _serious _justice, she grinned, first at the redhead as if to say 'nice try', and then at the server, "I'll have a Cosmo, please and thank you,"

How silly of Tala to ever think Dylan wouldn't get her way. At least he tried. The table, which consisted of a semicircular booth good for up to ten people, arose again in conversation. "Oh my gosh," The blonde begun, a smile directed towards Julia, "I love that top on you,"

The Spanish blader narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Thanks..."

"No problem, I mean not everyone can pull that off, you have a really small bust so it looks gorgeous on you,"

An insult about her breasts in the disguise of a compliment about her clothing, the result of it causing discomfort and embarrassment to Julia and making the other Blitzkrieg Boys check out her chest – or lack thereof – in reflex. It was ingeniously evil, Dylan's trademark; Boris would _die_ to have her as an intern working for him.

"Totally adorable," The bitch added, simultaneously taking a sip of her martini that the waiter had just delivered.

Tala gritted his teeth, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms under the table, the blonde having been lucky to be seated in shelter between Spencer and Ian. Kai had been next to the indigo haired blader, followed by Bryan, the captain subsequently, and at the end of the half-moon table, Ms. Fernandez.

"So Julia," As She-Satan had opened her mouth again, Tala feared what would come out of it, "How many guys have you slept with?"

"Dylan. Stop," The redhead warned.

"Don't be childish, Tala. Julia and I are trying to have a girl to girl conversation here, so if you don't mind you can go talk to your _homeboys_ about cars and girls and all that stuff,"

"Seriously. Stop,"

"No it's fine," Julia surprisingly objected, "I have no problem telling her and in turn, she should have no problem telling me either, isn't that right?"

"Of course," Dylan agreed.

"2," The female blader answered at last, "I've slept with 2 guys,"

"Interesting, but you know what they say, though: add two for a girl, subtract two for a guy. So your real number must be four,"

"Funny, I've never heard of that rule. It must be something that only the sluts know about,"

What was supposed to be a fun night kicking back with drinks had turned into two _women_ locking and loading and firing at each other, with Dylan undoubtedly possessing more ammunition. And none of the guys wanted to get hit by a stray bullet by getting involved. The atmosphere at the table was _so_ awkward and uncomfortable, Ian had pretended to occupy himself with his cell phone, Bryan only looked off into the distance as means of avoidance of the circumstance, Spencer contemplated turning gay so as not to ever be part of something like this ever again, Tala eyed nothing but his drink, and Kai didn't seem like he gave an F-word even if the girls ripped each others' heads off.

"Anyways, don't try to avoid your turn: what's your number?" And it continued.

"I actually don't kiss and tell. It's not very ladylike," Came the statement before she raised an arm to call over the waiter, "Hi sweetheart, can you just get me a glass of water, please? And she'll have a _Dirty _martini," And her sickly sweet smile only claimed further victory, "It suits her personality."

The night had come to an end, sooner than it should have for understandable reasons. Bryan decided it would be best if the redhead just dropped the Latina off by himself, and everyone else had agreed in silence, squishing into Kai's car in the process and while they drove home, Tala went to the opposite way towards Julia's hotel. The ride had been unusually silent and it was when he'd turned into the hotel's drive-in, she chose to say something, "You look mad,"

"I'm not mad," He shrugged his shoulders, one hand casually on the wheel, his eyes looking out the windshield. He was mad.

"Tonight didn't really go as planned..."

"Yeah, well," Another shrug, "Anyways, it's getting late. I have to head home; I have stuff to do in the morning,"

The fact that he was in such a fake hurry had given it away. "You seem like you're mad at me about something..."

"I'm not mad at you, but," He breathed out, "You really didn't have to let the whole world know how many guys you slept with,"

"Your _sister_ asked me,"

"My _sister_ is only 17 and in high school. You're 19. You should have more sense. I don't want my friends to know how many guys you slept with,"

"Oh my God, I've only been with two guys,"

"You're missing my point. Personally, _I_ don't care how many guys you've done whatever with, I really don't. I never asked you because I don't care and it's none of my business. What I care about is my friends knowing private details about you. They didn't need to know that. It's weird and un-classy,"

"Oh, so now I'm un-classy,"

"I didn't say that,"

"That's what you're implying. Your dumb sister is doing all this shit and you have the audacity to blame it on me?"

"I'm not blaming it on -"

"You're fucked. You're fucked in the head. Every problem we've had is because of her, other than that we don't have any problems. She's breaking us apart and you're letting her,"

"How the hell am I letting her? Why is she even a problem? Why the hell are we even talking about her? She's 17, she's a _child_. Why are we talking about a _child_? If you haven't noticed, I only go for girls who are my age or older, and you know why? Because I can't deal with immature bullshit and this is immature. So she said some dumb shit, big deal. All you had to do was ignore her. She can't say anything to you if you ignore her, she'd just look stupid and shut up. You didn't have to turn it into a fight and you _certainly _didn't have to ask her that kind of a question in front of me. I'm her brother, I don't need to know that about her and neither do my friends,"

"She asks me things that are _beyond_ absurd, what the hell do you want me to do? Be quiet at her?"

"Didn't you see what she did? She got an answer out of you, but when you asked her she didn't give you a number. Look, I know she's an idiot and really annoying. She asks crap like that to everyone, she even did it with Mariah and Mariah was mature about it. She said stuff back, but she did it in a really smart way and she probably thinks I didn't notice, but I did,"

The mention of Mariah had undoubtedly pissed Julia off. She angrily opened her side of the door to leave, but not before looking over her shoulder, "If Mariah's _so_ mature and _so_ smart then maybe you should go fuck her!" She exited, slamming the door to a close and stormed off into the hotel lobby.

**x x x**

It was nearly midnight when Hilary's phone went off. She hadn't quite gone to bed yet, but had prepared to, dressed in her pyjamas with her hair tied up. With _Julia_ displayed on the caller ID, she picked up instantly, "Hey,"

"Hey..."

The brunette's expression turned serious. Julia's voice had cracked slightly and a sniffle was an indication she was crying, "Oh my God, are you okay?"

"No...I'm on your floor...can I come over?"

"Yeah! Of course!" She ended the call and raced to the suite's entrance, collecting her distraught friend and bringing her to her room before Tyson and the others could see. As Julia sat on the edge of the mattress, Hilary grabbed a tissue, dabbing the tears off her make-up smeared face, "Tell me what happened,"

"He..." A few more droplets descended, "He's an asshole!"

"Who is?"

"You know who,"

Hilary frowned. She definitely knew who. Tala was just bad news for any girl. "What did he do this time?"

"He's seriously a fucking asshole,"

"I know,"

"We all went out and his fucking sister wouldn't leave me alone. He got mad at me. _Me_. The stupid bitch asked me how many guys I had sex with and I said two and Tala's all 'oh you shouldn't have answered it, that's un-classy' and all this other BS,"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah! And then in the car when he dropped me off, he kept mentioning Mariah, like how she's so mature and so this and so that. Why would he do that? Its common sense that you don't mention another girl especially if you have history with that other girl. He's such a fucking dirt bag, Hilary,"

"You know you can do better than this,"

"I _have_ done better,"

"He doesn't respect you. He kept blowing you off from the beginning, he went clubbing with some slut last time, and look what he did this time," She pushed some of her friend's hair away from her face, "He made you cry,"

"He goes around and fucks a million girls and everyone knows it but when it comes to me, apparently it's a huge problem if only _four_ of his friends know,"

"He's making a double-standard with you," Hilary sighed, "Do you want me to call Mariah here too?"

"No," She shook her head, "Mariah is the last person I want to see right now. I know she's my friend, but...I don't know. Mathilda told me some stuff,"

The brunette furrowed her brows, "What stuff?"

"That Tala and Mariah might still have something going on, I don't know. Don't tell Mathilda or Mariah I told you,"

"Obviously not," Hilary reassured, "Tala's an ass so he might have tried something with her, but I know Mariah would never do that to you, she loves you,"

"And Dylan told me one time how Tala keeps texting Mariah. I checked his phone one time, but I didn't find anything,"

Tala had definitely texted Mariah – inappropriately. She'd seen the messages as they had come. Julia didn't know this, and from the looks of it, Tala had probably deleted the messages off his phone before seeing Julia. Hilary was suddenly put into a strange situation: Julia was her friend and she had the right to know but would it be right to tell her? And how would Mariah take it? Would this affect Julia and Mariah's friendship? Would Julia be mad that Mariah hadn't said anything earlier? Would Julia be mad that Hilary herself had kept silent?

All this because of _one_ guy. Unbelievable.

**x x x**

Someone in the house was going to die today, Ian was sure. The way his team captain had exploded into the house was enough a hint. The short blader poked his head out of the kitchen just as the redhead headed upstairs and when he heard racket coming from the Ivanovs' room, he immediately followed, the scene before him a tense one.

With her hair a slight mess and her clothes consisting of some super tiny pink and blue checkered shorts and a white tank top, it was evident Dylan must have been woken from her sleep. They stood half a foot away from each other, a screamfest taking place in the middle of their room.

"What did I do?"

"You know what you did!"

"What?" The blonde raised both her arms in an 'I don't know' fashion, "What did I do?"

"Stay the fuck out of my life!" As the redhead advanced towards his sibling, Ian was stunned to see Tala shove Dylan. And it wasn't just any kind of push, he'd done it aggressively on purpose, probably disregarding the fact that he was older than her, much bigger than her, and a guy. She'd fallen on the floor on her behind with a loud thud, propping herself up on her elbows, her brows gathered in the center in anger. She grabbed something lying on the floor – a calculator – and whipped it right at her brother, the redhead blocking it with his arms in turn, and the look on his face following revealed that he'd finally snapped because he went at her. _Literally_. He tackled her like a stray football in a field.

Dylan vs. Tala in a _verbal_ battle, the former would usually come out the winner.

Dylan vs. Tala in a _physical_ battle...well, let's not kid ourselves here. He could do some serious damage to her, if he hadn't already.

"Hey, hey!" Ian raced inside and ripped the two apart, "Cut it out! Shit!" But he was only able to hold it off for so long before they broke free, "Stop! Stop! Guys! Stop!" His shouting was practically an invitation for everyone else in the house to come into the room to witness World War III, and with the help of the mammoths Bryan and Spencer and a systematic Kai, the brother-sister brawl was put to an end.

"This fuckery needs to stop," Bryan barked, "It needs to stop now," There was silence for a short time as no one really knew what to do. While Dylan was covered in red patches that would soon turn into bruises, Tala was covered in bloody scratches that would probably leave marks. They seemed to have calmed down, only by a little, neither of them bothering to look at each other.

The lilac haired blader eyed Ian, and he had taken the cue. The goggle-clad boy motioned for Dylan to follow him, a method of separation, and they proceeded to the kitchen. She'd taken a seat in one of the chairs and he fetched a packet of frozen peas for her. He hadn't planned on talking. She did.

"He's so crazy,"

Ian eyed the blonde before scooting his chair closer to her, moving the make-shift ice pack into a better position on her knee, "I think you should leave him alone,"

"I didn't do any -"

"Are you fucking kidding me? He's _so _mad, look at him; even I don't wanna go near him. You need to own up to the shit you do. Stop pretending like you don't know what's going on. I can see right through you, Bryan can too, Spencer not so much but he'll catch on soon, Kai knew from day one, and now Mathilda probably can too. Like Tala said, you know what you did,"

"I know what I did," Miraculously enough, she had confessed, "But you don't."

* * *

**DO PEOPLE STEREOTYPE YOU? **Among men, I seemed to be stereotyped as a slut. I'm 22 and I've had one boyfriend for - as on and off as it was - 3/4 years (he's an ex now...I think). He's the only guy I have ever done ANYTHING with, including kissing. Yes, I've kissed one guy in my whole entire life. Yet, every time I go out with a guy, he thinks he can get me in bed. EVERY TIME. "Oh, but I thought you were like that..." they say to me, looking all surprised when they find out I won't do anything with them. I don't know if my chest has anything to do with this. I'm a 32DD, but I don't flaunt it; I actually keep it out of view as much as I can by wearing my hair down or always having a cardigan on, and every time I buy clothes, I have to be very careful about it. Sometimes I feel really bad b/c I don't know what I'm doing wrong for guys to think that way of me. I mean, I wear glasses and even those have become a 'sex symbol' for them. Once the guy gets to know me, they don't think that anymore, but now when guys approach me, I don't know what they want from me. Do you guys have any stereotypes?**  
**

**xoxo to...**

**Freekiellie – **Haha, I love how you told me your fave parts of the last chapter in your review!

**Tanzy – **Brothers hardly ever stop being jerks! Trust me, I know! :( And about your life story with the guy on the train...WTF? Lol honestly, people are crazy! Like all I could think about after it happened to me was what the hell was going through that guy's mind? I just can't stop thinking about it!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **I KNOW! I know! :( I'm trying with DLS but...BLAH! LOL! I don't know what to say haha! I have a MILLION story ideas, I always do, only 50 per cent of it get written up and only 1 percent of that 50 percent (...sorry if the math is confusing you LOL) get published! LOL. 

**PhoenixxLament – **I know! This time I updated really fast! The next chapter is also already written up! PROGRESS! It's just that every time my retarded ass ex boyfriend makes his way back into my life, shit hits the fan. I really, really, really hate him. I've been seeing someone else since a few months ago and I finally told my ex that last night and he was like 'oh we should cut off contact with each other then' blablabla and testing me...but I was fine with it. I think in a few days he'll talk to me again though...but I can't help that I have feelings for someone else now! Sorry for spilling out my life story :P

**Someone **

**Xxz0eyxx – **About what Kenny is doing...you have a good guess! :P

**LovelyKitsune – **It scares me too that there are people out there like that! I'm the type of person that NEVER looks at my surroundings; I couldn't even tell you who was sitting next to me on the bus. After that, I'm definitely more careful. Anyways, will Mariah end up with Tala? We will never know! :P Actually that's not true, we'll know at the end...LOL! I crack myself up...and about how I got into Beyblade. Oh man, oh man lol. I remember it exactly. I'm 22 now, I got into it the summer I was entering grade 9 (when I was 14). The Digimon 'fandom' had just ended (for me at least), and my younger brother (who was 9 at the time...how time flies!) was watching it on TV (he never watches anime!) and then I started watching it...I was TOTALLY hooked. Sooo hooked, it wasn't even funny. I don't know how I found fanfiction, but I found it in the same year too (I've had my account since 2002!). Got into writing, and that just made me an even bigger fan of the show. So yeah...how'd you get into it?

**Native-kitten**


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

It was roughly 6 AM when Bryan came down the stairs, a yawn escaping in the process. Most 19 year olds didn't leave their beds before noon, but with the ways of the Abbey, the Blitzkrieg Boys had an early-rising internal clock by habit. Bryan would always be first, followed by Kai, then either Tala or Ian, and finally Spencer.

He headed straight for the kitchen, starting up the coffee machine immediately before strolling to the living room to turn on the TV to watch the morning news. He was startled, however, as soon as he stepped onto the carpeted area, his eyes scrunching up at the couch. Having been indirectly kicked out of her room for the night, Dylan had resorted to sleeping on the couch.

With Wolborg.

With one arm under her head acting as a pillow, her other arm was casually draped over the dog, and Wolborg seemed more than just perfectly snug, her head backed onto her chest, her paws and hind legs hanging slightly off the sofa due to limited space.

Bryan took the stairs to the top floor, walking into the team captain's room and pulled his bedside table drawer open. His beyblade and launcher were in there, but the bit chip was empty for obvious reasons. The lilac haired blader furrowed his brows at the beyblade; the fact that it was still in the drawer meant Wolborg had materialized on her own. Tala couldn't possibly have had any part in this; hardly ever did he let Wolborg out and even then, why would he tell her to go to Dylan? Strangest of all, Wolborg didn't even know Dylan, she was a complete stranger to her yet she seemed so comfortable, comfortable enough to sleep right next to her.

Unable to put two and two together – let alone one and one – Bryan scratched his head in awe and all he could think was 'what the hell'. Sighing, he went back for his coffee. By quarter to 8, he could hear the Kai coming downstairs, the phoenix entering the kitchen in some navy shorts, a wife beater, and wet hair.

Stop drooling, y'all.

Anyways.

Bryan looked up, "Did you look in the living room?"

"Hn,"

"You should go see,"

The bluenette raised a brow before disappearing out of the kitchen and reappearing seconds later entirely straight-faced. Bryan frowned; nothing could ever faze Kai.

"She's going to be late for school," The ex-Bladebreaker pointed out as he exited the kitchen.

"So?" Pssh, like Bryan would wake her up. She'd lost the opportunity for him to be civil with her. The clock ticked to 8 AM, then 8:15 AM, 8:28 AM...8:29 AM...8:30 AM. 8:30 AM was usually when she left the house, but today, with no alarm and with no Tala throwing a book at her from across the room, she was snoozing.

It was at that precise moment there was a knock on the main door and as Bryan got up to get it, he caught side of Wolborg waking up, its' tail wagging as it hopped off the couch and quickly rushed upstairs to disappear back into Tala's beyblade most likely. Shaking his head at the bizarreness, he undid the locks and pulled the door open. He recognized the three teens: Edward, Luka, and Vika, if he remembered correctly.

"We are here for Allan,"

"It's _Dylan_," The blonde sat up on the couch, rubbing her eyes.

"You still are sleeping!" Exclaimed a wide-eyed Vika, "We be late!"

Bryan stepped aside to let them in while Dylan had muttered a 'whatevs' and proceeded to get ready as fast she could. Some of her hair in the front was braided and bobby pinned up to the side. Eyeliner and mascara was done through a compact mirror at the breakfast table, her cereal turning into mush in the process and eventually left uneaten.

"We very late! Let's go!" Vika whined again, holding the front door open. Edward and Luka piled out, one of them carrying Dylan's bag while she herself hopped out of the house, half-struggling to put on her other boot, followed by Vika. The quartet ran down the road, jaywalking across the street hazardously as a moving car screeched to a halt with an elongated honk, and even though it was really their fault, they'd cursed off the driver – some explicit profanity in Russian by Vika, the middle finger courtesy of Edward, a snowball thrown at the windshield from Luka, and a 'what the fuck!' from 'Allan' – and continued their race to school to make it before the bell. And they'd actually made it on time, with thirty seconds to spare. Just as they were about to head to class, an ear-splitting whistle was heard from the other end of the hallway.

"It's Coach Carter..." Luka whispered frighteningly, and while Vika closed her eyes in prayer, Edward rolled his.

As Dylan glanced over her shoulder, she spotted the hefty muscular African man. A Black version of Arnold Schwarzenegger, if you will. He was tall, _very_ tall, surpassing the height of her brother for sure, maybe even Spencer and Bryan too. A white tee and some grey sweats were his usual attire, a whistle hanging around his neck. As he marched down the hallway, most students moved the hell away – or were lightly shoved away. "IVANOV!" He barked, only to have Luka and Vika run to their class, relieved to know they weren't the ones Coach Carter was after. Edward muttered a quick 'good luck' to the blonde before strolling off to his class as well. Fiddling with the strap of her backpack, the Californian waited until she was approached. Being approached consisted of him coming up so close, she could feel some his saliva hit her in the face as he yelled in her face, "WHAT'S HAPPENING!" His accent was nor Russian or African. It was fluent American English that he was speaking in, a hint of Texan pronunciation in some of his words, "DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 20!"

"I'm gonna be late for cla -"

"NOW!"

Putting her bag on the floor, she got on the floor as well. Some students had the respect to mind their own business, others, not so much, watching and eavesdropping from the corner of their eyes while they pretended to grab something from their lockers.

"NO GIRLY PUSH UPS! AND DON'T ROLL YA EYES AT ME! I DON'T WANNA SEE THE WHITES OF YA EYES! ALRIGHT, THAT'S 1...2...3..." He counted each push up, "3...3...3..."

"But I just did 6,"

"YA AIN'T DOIN' IT RIGHT! UNTIL ITS DONE RIGHT, YOU GON' STAY AT 3! ALRIGHT! GOOD! 4...5..."

Too lift your own weight was actually a lot more difficult than you'd think. After 20 _proper_ push ups smack dab in the middle of the school hallways, she sat leaning against the lockers, "Did I do something?"

"Your teachers been complainin' to me, I've seen your tests, your current grades," He elaborated before crossing his arms and shaking his head, "It ain't lookin' good for ya, Ivanov,"

"What do you mean?"

"School rules are school rules. If a student has an average accumulated grade of 60 percent or less, they will be removed from any and all teams and extracurricular activities in which they participate, you feelin' me?"

"Yeah..."

"I'mma have to take you off the team if you don't turn yourself around,"

"I'm trying,"

"Yeah you better because this is your last chance. Now get to class," He ordered, "And remember, I got ma eyes on you!"

**x x x**

Even with the laptop on his lap, a program open on the screen, Ian's attention was towards the TV in amusement. Besides, it was too loud to ignore. Spencer and Kai were battling it out in Halo, the former sitting on the floor, leaned over the coffee table looking tense, the latter lying on the other couch, the controller clutched close to his chest.

"He's kicking your ass, man," Ian snickered, "Just give up,"

"Shut it or I'll break it," Spencer retorted.

The short blader looked over at Kai, "At least go easy on him,"

"Hn," The bluenette smirked, "Easier than this?"

The trio was soon joined by their captain as he hopped over the couch from behind, landing on the seat next to Ian who gave the redhead a disapproving look, "Bryan said not to do that,"

"Bryan says a lot of things," Tala rolled his eyes.

Catching sight of the redhead's arm covered in scratches and scrapes, Ian was reminded of last night, "So you alright, man?"

"Fine,"

"What happened when you drove Julia to her hotel? Did she say anything about what happened at the bar?"

"She said a bit too much, actually,"

"What do you mean?"

"I think she has a problem with Mariah,"

"Well Julia's cute and all," Spencer begun, "But Mariah's got tits like Pamela Anderson and an ass like Kim Kardashian,"

The redhead lifted a cushion off the couch and hit the blonde over the head hard, "Your observations of Mariah are not required,"

"Just stating fact," Spencer defended.

Tala suspiciously narrowed his eyes at Spencer, "Anything _else_ you're forgetting to 'state'?"

"She's pretty hot, but I don't think that needs a reminder,"

"K,"

"Don't worry," Spencer laughed, "I abide by Man Law. I'd never chop her,"

"You'd make an ass out of yourself if you did," The redhead smirked, "You're not her type,"

"Oh yeah? Is that a challenge?"

"What's there to be challenged?" Tala sneered, "She won't even look your way by _accident_," The verbal combat came to a quick end when the team captain's phone went off. He figured it must have been Julia texting to apologize for that uncalled for comment last night or just her behaviour in general. Alas, it wasn't. It wasn't his parents either, not even Mallory. The text had come from a _Lauren Woodall_, a Los Angeles area code and number associated with it. The message was for Dylan, that much was obvious. Tala didn't know all of her friends, but he knew most of them by name. Lauren was one of them. With the service from her phone cut off, Dylan gave away Tala's number to quite a few of her friends. He read over the text a second time, rolling his eyes at what kind of drama the blonde was about be involved in all over again..._all_ the way from California this time: _OOOMG...thought u shud know malls just hooked up with kyrone...ALL of harbour knows omg...CALL ME!_

**x x x**

The walk home was without a doubt more relaxed than the journey to school. They'd stopped by a corner store for Edward to pick up a new pack of cigarettes and continued the stroll. Luka had attempted to recite a Russian joke in English for Dylan, only the translation had caused the meaning and punch line to be lost, and after much confusion, he'd stopped trying to tell it and she'd stopped trying to understand.

The pinked haired Edward, smoking on a cancer stick, stopped suddenly, "There is car following us,"

Instinctively, the three other teens looked over their shoulders. For Vika and Luka, it was a stranger. For Dylan, it was all too familiar. Black Mercedes-Benz, Alden Hiwatari behind the wheel. Finally it came to a stop next to the high schoolers and as the window rolled down, the blonde immediately dismissed the others, telling them to go on home and that she'd talk to them later before turning to the splitting image of Kai, "Hi,"

"Hello Dylan, how are you?"

"I'm good," She looked to her left, her house visible from where she was standing, "I don't think Kai wants to talk to you," She spilled quickly.

"Can I talk to you little bit?"

"I really have to get home..."

"Just for little bit,"

"I don't think I'm allowed..."

"Kai will not find out, I promise you that. I just need your help,"

She looked towards her house once again before getting in the car. This time he'd taken her to a local cafe, ordering a hot chocolate and sandwich for her and sushi for himself. She raised a brow as he employed the Asian cutlery, "You know how to use chopsticks?"

"Few years ago Kai ran away to Japan. I went to look for him. I stayed there for almost one month so I learned there," He looked up at her, "You know how to use?" When she shook her head, he handed her an extra pair, "Look how I'm holding," He demonstrated.

"This feels weird," She screwed up her face as she tried to get it right.

"It will take some practice," He leaned over the table and fixed her position over the sticks, "Now try to pick it up," He motioned to the sushi.

She'd tried, but failed, dropping the whole thing into the sauce in an attempt to dip it, sending him an embarrassed smile in return, "Sorry,"

"You will learn, try it again," And try again she did. She probably wouldn't have, but he had made her, and in the span of fifteen troublesome minutes, progress was made, though not perfection, "Keep these," He referred to the wooden chopsticks, "Practice every day,"

"So Kai ran away to Japan?" She enquired at last, pulling her sandwich closer.

With a chuckle, Alden nodded, "He is very interesting kid,"

"Why did he do that?"

"He is very stubborn. He will not listen to me," He detailed, "He will not listen to anybody,"

"Oh,"

"But he is very good boy,"

"Why won't he talk to you?"

"Things have been a little complicated," He paused abruptly, his eyes furrowed as he took a hold of her hand, "What happened to your arm?"

The sleeves off her school uniform had been rolled up slightly, half a bruise on display, "My brother and I got into a fight last night,"

"He hit you?"

"No, no, no, it wasn't like that, like nothing dangerous. This is just his way of toughening me up, he wouldn't _actually_ hurt me,"

"You are sure?"

"Oh _my_ God," She laughed with an eye roll, "Tala's absolutely harmless, I know him, he's like a girl. _I_ pose more a threat to him than he does to me," Things had slowly gone off topic before coming back to topic a few minutes later, "If you wanna talk to Kai, I think you should give him some time,"

"Time?" Alden repeated.

"Yeah," The blonde nodded, "He seems like the type of guy that'll eventually come around,"

"I see you are getting to know him well," The thirty-six year old smirked teasingly and then turning more serious, "I would love to give him time, but I don't know if I can,"

"Why? Are you going somewhere?"

"Something like that," He shrugged, "The faster I can talk to him, the better. It involves legal matters."

**x x x**

Pulling the curtain aside, Tala looked out the living room windows, his turquoise eyes scanning the snowy neighbourhood, "Yo!" He turned his head over his shoulder, "Did Dylan tell any of you she was staying after school today?"

Spencer had yelled a 'no' from upstairs, Ian shook his head in response from one of the couches, while Bryan poked his head out of the kitchen, "She didn't say anything to anyone at home,"

"Hmm," The redhead gazed at his phone. It was 4:30 PM. School had ended at 3 PM. When he used to pick her up, they'd be home by 3:15 latest, and since she started walking, she'd usually come home around 3:30 or 3:40. And every time she had to stay after school, she'd let him know. He understood that they had a fight last night and maybe she didn't want to tell him in person to avoid talking to him and she wasn't talking to Bryan either, but she could have told Ian or Spencer. Hell, she could have even told Kai. He scrolled through his phonebook, feeling rather relieved to find Luka's number stored. Just as he was about to make the call, the front door swung open, and what do you know, Dill Pickle had finally decided to show up. Pocketing his phone, Tala eyed the doorway, "Where were you?"

"Nowhere,"

"It's 4:30, _hun_," He waited for an explanation.

"I'm only an hour late, big deal,"

"It is a big deal,"

"How?" She wrinkled her nose, "Mom and dad wouldn't care,"

"I'm not mom and dad. Look, all I wanna know is where you went so just tell me and we'll be done with this discussion,"

"Edward wanted to get sushi,"

"Cool," He kept his word, letting her off the hook, "That's all I wanted to know,"

She rolled her eyes as she headed upstairs, "K, retard."

And by 7 PM, everyone had come together at the dinner table. Luckily for Dylan, it wasn't anything foreign this time. With Tala being head chef tonight, pasta was served. Nothing fancy, though. He was intelligent and a skilled beyblader, but his cooking skills lacked. All he had to do was boil the pasta for ten minutes, open a can of pasta sauce, and voila, dinner. It must've been kind of bland judging from the way everyone was grabbing for the salt and pepper shaker, and Kai had went the extra mile to chop up some parsley for his plate.

"It can't be _that_ bad," Tala rolled his eyes.

"Yeah it's not that bad," Ian smirked, "It's _really_ bad," He ducked quickly, dodging the penne that the redhead chucked at it him.

Bryan grimaced, "That needs to be cleaned or there will be a bug infestation in here,"

It was half way through dinner when Tala felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached for it, pulling it out, another incoming text this from _Sarah Elizabeth_: _um k some shit went down at jacksons party last night...you need to call me asap._ He tapped the blonde on the shoulder with his phone, "It's for you. There was another one from Lauren,"

The messages were read, a subtle look of shock evident in her face before she excused herself from the table to have some privacy in the living room. Though everyone at the table continued to converse, bits of her phone call – most likely with Mallory – was still audible.

_"Did you? No, I don't wanna hear anything else, just tell me if you did or not,"_ There was a brief pause in which the confession had to have come out because after that, there was no more talking. She had hung up on her BFF without a bye or without hearing the rest of her side of the story. Her face was flushed from what one could only assume to be fury as she stepped back into the kitchen and took her seat.

From across the table, Kai watched the blonde place an elbow on the table, letting her head rest in her palm. She grabbed her spoon and though she kept stirring her pasta, she didn't eat it. Her eyes went from the floor, to the table, to the salt shaker, and many other random things, but never at him like she normally would. The behaviour was all too familiar for the phoenix. She wasn't happy. Something had happened.

Sitting beside her, Tala scoffed, "So whose pants did Mallory get into this time?" What was meant as nothing but a teasing comment seemed to have put her over the edge. She reached for her glass of water and threw it on the ground and as the smashing sound made Ian flinch – only because he hadn't expected it – the blonde raced upstairs to her room.

_Half_ her room.

Ian looked around the table, "O...kay..."

"What the hell?" Spencer eyed the floor.

"Leave it," Tala instructed, "She's mad,"

Clearly. And it was new for Kai. He'd never seen her mad before. Annoyed, yes, but not _mad_. She was livid, the anger pouring out of her like a molten lava chocolate cake. Or real molten lava, you take your pick. It was like unlocking a new level in a video game; this side of her was a never-before-seen discovery for him. It was strange, really; he always expected her to be her 'default': condescending, kinda dumb, and full of that typical cheer captain attitude. He just didn't anticipate anything _more_ than that.

Bryan raised a quizzical brow at the redhead, "What'd you do?"

"What the fuck? I didn't do shit. I think her best friend hooked up with her ex or something, I don't know," He provided his hypothesis, "Don't talk to her, just leave her alone. I'll clean up the glass,"

"Better than breaking a door," Bryan noted before exchanging glances with the rest of his teammates, "Unlike _some_ people."

After dinner, no one bothered talking to Dylan. They couldn't even if they tried; she was in her room for the remainder of the time, the door closed _and_ locked. That was not a problem for Tala. With two bobby pins he found in the washroom, he got his door open in a matter of seconds. It was nearly 2 in the morning; she had to have been sleeping by now.

Or not.

She sat on her bed with a stuffed animal situated in her lap. A magazine lay open in front of her and a Lady Gaga song was slightly detectible through her earphones. She only shifted her eyes towards him and then back to the magazine.

"Go to sleep," The redhead ordered, "You have school tomorrow,"

She pulled out the ear buds, "I'm not going to school anymore,"

"You have to go to school,"

"I don't care, I'm not going. None of this would have happened if I was still in California,"

"Alright, fine," He sat on the edge of her bed, "What's plan B, then? If you don't want to finish high school, what do you want to do?"

"I want to go home. Call mom and dad and tell them if they don't take me back home right now, I'm _never_ talking to them again,"

"Yeah," He rolled his eyes, "Okay,"

"Call them!"

"Unless you graduate from high school, going back home is not an option, you know that. You did this to yourself, stop complaining. You kept fucking up and mom and dad got sick of it," He sighed, leaning over and randomly pulling the _Cosmopolitan _magazine towards him, "So who's this Kyrone kid?"

"He's Harbour's quarterback," She played with the ears of the stuffed dog, "And he's the guy I was supposed to go to prom with,"

"Mallory knew that?"

"_Everybody_ knew that, it was unofficially official since grade eleven,"

"Well," He shrugged casually, almost as if to say 'I told you so'.

"I can't believe she would do that. Like, I don't even know what to say right now,"

"What was her excuse?"

"She said she's sorry and she doesn't know how it happened,"

"What happened anyway?"

"They..." She rolled her eyes, "You know,"

"Fucked?"

"...yeah,"

There was nothing but silence for a couple of minutes as he aimlessly skimmed over an article called _Flirt With Your Feet_, making a face at the ridiculous fashion statement. Having had enough of the weird read, he tossed it aside, "You know, not everything will always go your way; sometimes you have to compromise. That's why they sent you here, so you can learn that. Not everyone's going to treat you the way mom and dad treat you; not everyone's going to prepare your lunch for school, give you money when you need it, do your laundry, clean up after you, and give in to you. I was really mad when they kicked me out too, I didn't talk to them for four months,"

"Are you still mad at them?"

"No, I'm actually grateful. I'm sure it was hard for them to send me all the way to the other end of the world, but I know they did it with my best interest in mind,"

"If you're not mad at mom and dad anymore, then why are you still here?"

"Because this place isn't bad. I have great friends, I'm already legal here, Russian girls are _hot_; life's good here,"

"Really..."

"I didn't like it here at first either. I didn't like the weather, I didn't like the people, I didn't like anything about Russia, but when you open your mind and get used to it, you'll see what I mean,"

"So you don't care about California at all, then,"

"I just prefer being here,"

"I see..." She nodded, "You don't even want to go to college or university?"

"Haven't thought about it yet,"

"So obviously you didn't apply to UCLA, USC, Berkeley or anything like that, right?"

"Nope," And when she gave him a long hard look, he raised a brow, "Why?"

"Just making sure," She smirked, "Because _I'm_ applying to those and I don't want your germs on my campus."

* * *

**CAN YOU SPOT THE SIMILARITIES? **Characters such as Miguel, Mariah, Kai, Mr. Dickenson, indirectly Michael, and others keep mentioning that Tala and Dylan are alike. I've imbedded them into the story since the very first chapter, but obviously I didn't just TELL you what they were straight up, that's up to the reader to catch onto. So my question/challenge to you is...**can you find any similarities between Tala and Dylan?** Tell me what they are in your reviews.

**STORY HINTS. **In chapter 23 when Dylan was cleaning out Tala's drawer, she found admission letters addressed to him from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), USC (University of South California), Berkeley (University of California, Berkeley), MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Harvard (come on now, everyone knows Harvard), NYU (New York University). In this chapter, when Dylan asks Tala about college/university, he says he hasn't thought about it and hasn't applied. Conclusion: he lied. Also, he said he prefers being in Russia, but ALL the universities he applied to were American, majority of them being in CALIFORNIA.

Also in this chapter...

_"He hit you?"_

_"No, no, no, it wasn't like that, like nothing dangerous. This is just his way of toughening me up, he wouldn't actually hurt me,"_

_"You are sure?"_

_"Oh my God," She laughed with an eye roll, "Tala's absolutely harmless, I know him, he's like a girl. I pose more a threat to him than he does to me."_

Analyze what she said. Not only should it clear up some of your guys' "OMG TALA HIT A GIRL!" comment, but it should also give you an idea of their sibling relationship.

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I HEART YOU ALL! **

**Xxz0eyxx – **Who cares if you're not signed in! LOL! I hardly every sign in to write a review! Haha! And I recently got into a fight with my bro lol very similar to the one described in the story! LOL! I had bruises everywhere, I scraped my elbow, blablabla! But we get along really well too. As for Brooklyn, I have a feeling he will make an appearance in the story verrrry soon ;)

**Peroxxide Priincess – **LOL! If you were getting so into the fight just by reading it, I wonder how much into it you'd be if you saw me and my bro fight LOL!

**Qiuyue – **You can beat up your bro? How old is he and how old are you? I'm 22 and my bro is 17 and back in the day, I left him black and blue too...its the other way around now! LOL! He's taller than me and works out! About being a slut, ugh, I'm so sick of it. And just like you said, even if we're honest about our sex life, no one believes it. My own parents don't LOL. I'm really glad you shared this with me, makes me feel like I'm not alone on this issue xoxo.

**LovelyKitsune – **And look at how fast I updated again! :P I DIED laughing your review about when Julia and Dylan were fighting, Tyson should have appeared out of no where and yelling chick fight! About sibling fights lol that one was written from real life experiences with my own bro lol.

**Kickstartmyhart – **Your review...ALL I'm gonna say is you have REALLY good guesses! LOL can't give stuff away now! LOL!

**Lazy Chick – **I used to be such a tomboy lol...I don't know what happened! LOL!

**Crying Sorceress – **I THOUGHT YOU DISAPPEARED! LOL! Welcome back :P About flirting, I DO flirt a lot (verbally), but it's only with guys that I know I might have some kind of a future with. I have heard, though, that I'm too 'friendly' (not flirty, but literally too friendly) and I think that might give guys the wrong idea too. And yeah, 3-4 years is a LOOOONG ass time! I think we're done for good though, I'm seeing another guy! And its good to keep your mouth shut! I think its okay to tell your very best friend things, but other than that, certain things should just be kept to yourself. And man, I had no idea wtf Red Square was...I Googled sights/tourist attractions/landmarks for Russia and it came up...I literally thought it was a square that's red! Then I saw a few pictures, read about it a little bit and voila!

**Zeratheliger – **You say you're not good at catching clues but I beg to differ! Some of your guesses are actually pretty good! In regards to what Dylan looks like, her eyes are blue (turquoise)! It's been mentioned SO many times :P Tala and Dylan have the same eyes (mentioned in the first chapter, Hilary noticed it while going through their pictures, Alden Hiwatari also mentioned it). Just remember, blonde hair blue eyes! Btw, I've put up a picture for Dylan (which you've seen :P) but I haven't mentioned that to the other readers yet b/c a description of Dylan will be put out in the story soon!

**ANNONYMOUS – **Dylan is 17 and Tala is 'two years her senior', which means he's 19 (17 years for Dylan + Tala being 2 years older = 19). All the Blitzkrieg Boys (and most of the other BBA characters) are also 19. Exceptions are Mathilda (it is mentioned that she is 16 but 'a few weeks shy of 17', which means she's due to turn 17 REALLY soon), Daichi is mentioned as 16, Raul was mentioned to be 17. And is Kai younger than Tala? Well, considering they are both 19, and assuming they DON'T have the same birthdays, they would be a few months apart, but as for whose older or younger, who knows :P And Ian is like the character in the show! I try to keep everyone in character as much as possible, though I also try to make it real too!

**Bellainucullen – **15! Wow I have some young readers :P (I'm 22! Don't feel old! LOL! And I'm turning 23 this September, so imagine how I feel!). Please remember there will be mature themes in this story! As long as YOU are comfortable reading it, feel free! And since this story, ESPECIALLY romance scenes, etc, are based on my real life experiences, you can take some notes :P LOL! Haha! And I LOOOOVE Britney Spears! I'm going to her concert on August 14 (Toronto)! SOOO excited!

**Eloquent dreams – **4:30 AM :| Did you read the WHOLE story in a day? Holy macaroni! Makes me feel special :P And secrets will be revealed! For now, just try catching onto the clues!


	40. Chapter Forty

**CHAPTER FORTY **

Coming up real close to the bathroom mirror and leaning over the sink, Mariah carefully, but quickly, lined the top of her eyes with some black liner, the ends of it slightly winged out like always. While she moved onto mascara, she could see Lee's reflection as he poked his head into the washroom.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yeah," She took a step back and finger combed her wavy pink hair, "Dylan's,"

Lee glanced over at his watch and then at the pinkette, "It's 11 AM, wouldn't she be in school?"

"She didn't go to school today," She provided, walking past her older brother and into her room to grab her jacket, "She's sick,"

"How are you getting there?"

"Taxi,"

Lee sighed, rummaging through his wallet before pulling out some bills, "Here,"

"Oh, it's okay," Mariah declined, "I have money,"

"Just keep it. Call me if you get into any kind of trouble, and remember, stay aw -"

"Stay away from Tala and stay away from everyone else except Dylan and Kai the asshole only if necessary," She rolled her eyes, "I know,"

"Hey," Ray invited himself into the room, "I heard that about Kai, Mariah,"

"I have no problem with him," The female White Tiger raised her hands defensively, "Lee does,"

Ray frowned, "Lee..."

"He stole our bit beasts, Ray,"

"That was one time!" The ex Bladebreaker defended, "At least blame it on the drugs, he had to have been on LSD or some shit to be that messed up, it's not his fault."

While Lee and Ray continued to discuss Kai's temporary phase of evil from a few years back, Mariah slyly slipped out of her room and eventually out of her suite. She waved down a taxi and gave the driver the address, and after a five to seven minute ride, she found herself walking up to the Blitzkrieg Boys' house. A part of her was nervous and a part of her was relieved; nervous, because she wondered what kind of reason Tala would give her for avoiding her, and relieved that their dilemma would finally be put to rest. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. The wait for someone to answer was not long as the door creaked open by Spencer from the inside.

The pinkette smiled, "Hi Spencer,"

"Uh, hi,"

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time,"

"No," He shook his head and stepped aside, "Come in,"

"Thanks," As the door closed behind her, she took in the indoor view. It looked exactly as it did the last time she was over. A few jackets were hanging off the post of the staircase, one of them she'd immediately recognized to be the redhead's. Someone's hoodie was lying on one of the couches and the only girly touch appeared to be the bottle of nail polish sitting on the coffee table, "I actually came by for Tala," She told the big blonde, "Is he home?"

"He's in his room," Spencer smirked, "You should know where that is,"

"Shut up," She laughed, shoving him lightly before taking the stairs. Everyone's door was mostly open, including the team captain's. With one look inside, she was astonished at how much his bedroom had changed since the last time she was ever in his bedroom. It wasn't just _his_ room anymore, it was also Dylan's. The concept was actually comical for her; two older siblings that just didn't get along, forced to share a room together. Half the room was pink, cutesy, and girly and half the room was blue, un-cutesy, and guy-ish, and just as there was a tank top lying on the floor on Dylan's side of the room, there was a pair of jeans on the floor on his side of the room. Finally, Mariah stuck her head into the room and knocked on the already open door simultaneously to get his attention. He sat on his bed, a screwdriver in one hand and his beyblade in the other, but he didn't seem too busy. He looked up, a surprised appearance on his face to have seen her, only to be quickly replaced by a straight-face.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came here to talk to you. Are you busy?"

"About what?"

"I can come by another time if you want,"

He got off his bed and motioned for her to leave his room and head downstairs while he followed, picking up his jacket from the end of the staircase in the process, and when he opened the front door, she was confused, "We'll talk outside," He clued her in.

It was a little unusual for him to want to talk outside rather than in the warmth of his house or even the privacy of his room. It only added to the fact that he was behaving very oddly with her. Nonetheless, she stepped outside and strolled to the driveway, "So..." She began, alternating from standing on her heels to her tiptoes, the movement being used to fight off the cold.

"What do you want?"

She didn't fail to notice his hostile nature, "I just wanted to talk to you about some stuff,"

"Listening,"

"I kind of noticed that you've been avoiding me ever since we had that fight. I texted you and I even called you, but you ignored them,"

"K,"

Mariah suddenly felt very awkward, "I just wanted to know why,"

"You know why,"

"I don't, I really don't," She declared, "That's why I came here and if I really have done something to upset you, then I'm really sorry, Tala, and I want you to know that that was never my intention,"

"Yeah, right," He laughed, not genuinely, but in mock, "Telling Lee wasn't your intention,"

To say she was puzzled would have been an understatement. Her brows furrowed, "Excuse me?"

He gave her a pathetic look before rolling his eyes, "I am so fucking sick of girls like you pretending like you don't know what's going on and trying to act all innocent, it's such a turn off. Just fucking be straight up with me, it's not so hard,"

"Okay, I seriously have no id –"

"Stop acting like you don't know! Just stop, it's pissing me off. You know what you told Lee, you know you lied to him about me calling you and taking you out and I don't know what the fuck else you told him, but the guy was ready to fight me in the middle of my training with my team. I didn't think you were that low, Mariah, I –"

"Okay, Tala, look at me," She pointed to herself, "Look at me,"

"I don't wanna fucking look at you!"

"I didn't do anything," Her hands were extended outwards, her palms facing up, "I swear,"

But that only seemed to enrage him more, "Fuck you, Mariah. I'm done with this bullshit,"

And as he started to walk back home, she chased, "Hold on!"

He'd stopped so abruptly, she ran right into his chest, only to have him move her away from him, followed by his final statement, "I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to be friends. I don't want anything to do with you. I mean it."

**x x x**

Flipping her hair over, Hilary wrapped the towel around her wet hair. She could hear someone knock on her suite door while was in the washroom and as she put her moisturizer on, someone had knocked on her bathroom door this time.

"Hilary?" It was Tyson, his voice quieter than usual. And Tyson was hardly ever quiet.

Finding it rather odd, Hilary opened the bathroom door slightly, "What is it?"

"Mariah's here," He'd resorted to whispering, "I told her to go to your room,"

"Tell her I'll be out in a minute,"

"Alright, well just a heads up: she's crying,"

"_What_?"

"Shh!" Tyson motioned with his hands, "Yeah, I don't know what happened. I think you should go talk to her,"

The brunette nodded, "Okay, I'll be right out," She closed the door, quickening her pace as she put on her clothes. What could have made _Mariah_ cry? First Julia, and now her? She rushed out of the steamy bathroom, half-walking and half-jogging to her room.

The pinkette, who lay on Hilary's bed, had already helped herself to some tissue and smiled awkwardly at the brunette, "Hi..."

Discarding the towel on her head, Hilary sat on the edge of her bed, "What happened? What's going on?" Instead of saying anything, the White Tiger sat up and pulled her into a hug which Hilary had immediately returned, "You can tell me, Mariah,"

"Tala and I had a fight,"

"What do you mean?"

The pink haired girl pulled away slightly, "I didn't tell you, but a few days ago we had a fight,"

Understandably, Hilary was confused. What could _Tala _and _Mariah_ possibly fight about? They were friends, but not close friends. After things didn't work out with them romantically, they'd decided to stay 'friends' just for the sake of a label. How, then, could two 'friends' get into a fight? The events were ultimately recited, starting from the fight they had on the same day Julia and Tala had a fight over the Facebook pictures to today.

"He kept ignoring me and I just wanted to know what was going on and when I got there, he just started verbally attacking me and accusing me of all this weird stuff, like how I told Lee something and that Lee was going to fight him while he was training with his team,"

Hilary suddenly pulled back, eyes narrowing as she recollected a recent memory, "Oh my God...I _think_ I might know what happened,"

"What? What do you mean? Tell me!"

"Kenny said something about Lee and Tala getting into a fight a while ago, but you know Kenny, he always exaggerates this kind of stuff so I didn't make anything out of it,"

"Are you _serious_?" The White Tiger's eyes had practically bulged out, "Call Kenny in here right now!"

And thus, the BBA Revolution's engineer was called to the room – against his will – and his side of the story was revealed, "Tyson and Daichi were taking a break from training, Hilary went to get coffee, and I went to the washroom. I was in one of the stalls, none of them saw me or know that I was there," He paused, "And I hope it remains that way..." As Hilary rolled her eyes, he continued, "Tala came in first and just as he was about to leave, Lee came in and they started saying things to each other and Lee wanted to 'settle things once and for all',"

"Wait," Mariah interrupted, "Tell me what Lee was saying to him,"

"I'm not too sure; he mentioned that he told Tala to stay away from you, but that he still texts and calls you, so I think Lee was mad about that,"

Hilary glanced over at Mariah, "Well it's true, Tala _does_ text you,"

"Yeah, but why would Lee know that?"

"You think he goes through your phone?"

Mariah shrugged, "I don't know,"

"Lee said something about Tala wanting to have breakfast in bed with you,"

The pinkette buried her face into her palms, "He went through my phone..." She stayed that way for a few seconds and then looked back at Kenny, "What happened after that? Did they get into a fight?"

"Well from what I could tell Lee really wanted to fight and Tala didn't, but it would have happened anyway if Dylan hadn't come in,"

Hilary wrinkled her nose, "I thought you said this was all happening in the guys' washroom,"

"I don't know why Dylan came in, but after she did Lee left so if you really think about it, she _technically_ stopped it,"

"I don't even know what to say right now," Mariah ran her fingers through her hair stressfully, "I mean this explains everything. This is why Tala was _so_ mad at me, he seriously thinks I told Lee about his text messages and everything, I can't believe this,"

"It's okay,"

"It's not okay!" She made a noise of frustration before getting to her feet, "I'm gonna go talk to Lee,"

"Now?"

Mariah didn't bother with a reply or even a 'bye' as she stormed out of BBA Revolution's hotel suite; her mind was preoccupied with too many other things at the moment. She took the elevator to her floor, seething the whole way to her room. She knocked. Ray opened. The look on her face must've given something away because he asked her what was wrong. She ignored him. Instead, she marched over to Lee's room, "Did you say something to Tala?" As Lee raised a brow, Mariah raised her voice, "Answer me!"

He turned off the television before turning to her, "What would I tell him?"

"Did you say something to him or no?"

"What makes you think I would say something to him?"

"Lee, don't test me, I'm really pissed off right now. Did you go through the texts in my phone?"

"I think I should be asking _you_ what you were doing with him after I told you to keep away from him,"

"So you did, then! You said something to him!"

"Whatever I told him was for your good, Mariah,"

"What I do with people is my business, not yours'! Do you understand that? I have _never_ seen him so mad before, _ever_! He hardly ever gets that angry and he _never_ swears in front of me; I can't even imagine what you said and did for him to be _so_ mad. I can't believe this, Lee, I can't believe you would actually go behind my back like this, going through my fucking phone and then trying to fight him. What is this, Lee!"

"Did Dylan tell you about all of this?"

"Oh my God, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"You can talk to me about anything as long as it's not about that pathetic Tala,"

She just stood there, her lips pursed together in inevitable anger, "Apologize to him!"

"I am not going to apologize for doing something in my sister's best interest,"

"If you don't, Lee, I will _never_ talk to you again,"

"I'll apologize to him the day Tyson Granger is overthrown as the World Champion," And everyone knew as long as Tyson was alive, he'd probably always be the champion.

"I mean it, Lee,"

"I mean it too, Mariah."

**x x x**

It was nearly dinner time for the Blitzkrieg Boys. While Bryan was making dinner, this time with the help of Spencer and Kai, Ian had volunteered to help Dylan with an essay, and being as bored as he was, Tala did nothing except have his head down on the table waiting for food.

But as his phone rang, his head shot up in alert while the blonde had instantly jumped to a conclusion and a warning, "I don't wanna talk to Mallory,"

"It's actually Mathilda," He corrected, gazing at his phone.

"I'm really busy, I don't wanna talk to anyone right now,"

Busy Kai's ass. Sure she was doing homework, but she was never too busy for talking to a friend. She was still mad, it was obvious, but he decided she was doing better today. Today was just the aftershocks of last night. What happened with Mallory, he didn't know, but he was willing to bet money on it that it was over a guy. As for her dilemma with Mathilda, he'd pretty much witnessed that on himself.

Dinner was nearly ready and just as Bryan was putting the finishing touches, the door bell had rung. "Are we," Ian looked around the kitchen, "expecting guests?"

"Just get the door," Tala rolled his eyes.

"You get the door," Ian countered, "You're always sitting on your ass and ordering everyone around,"

"Yeah, because I'm captain, stupid, and captain says go open the fucking door,"

"_I'll_ get it," Spencer volunteered, making his way out of the kitchen, and it wasn't until he'd opened the door that Mathilda's meek voice was heard from the other room.

"What the hell?" Dylan had whispered, sliding off her chair frantically, "Tell her I'm not home,"

"Then go hide, dip shit," The redhead suggested, but as Mathilda's footsteps started getting closer to the vicinity, he pulled his sister by the sleeve of her shirt and directed her to the kitchen cupboards, "Get in and shut up,"

She squat down and crawled in quickly and in the time Mathilda had made it into the kitchen, Tala closed the cupboard door and stood in front of it, his arms crossed and a dumb grin on his face, "Welcome!"

"Um, thanks," Mathilda accepted, "I would have let you know I was coming, but when I called nobody picked up,"

The redhead faked concern, "How odd,"

"Yeah..." The pinkette smiled awkwardly, "So is Dylan here?"

"No," Tala shook his head, "She's at the hospital,"

Mathilda gasped, "Why? What happened?"

"Violent diarreah," As Mathilda raised a brow, the redhead nodded, "Yeah, it just wouldn't stop coming out. The doctors put some kind of a pipe up her, you know, and basically she has to stay there until it's done sucking the shit out of her intestines. The drainage process might take a while, but I'll definitely let her know you dropped by,"

From the table, Ian had muttered a 'only Tala...' while Bryan sighed, pouring himself a much needed scotch on the rocks, quickly chugging some down. Meanwhile, Kai gave his captain a pathetic look before advancing towards him, "Move." And he didn't bother waiting for a reaction, he'd practically shoved the redhead aside and pulled the cupboard door open exposing the very strange sight that was Dylan looking nothing less than ridiculous, crammed up in there under the sink, a mortified look on her face.

* * *

**TONS OF STORY HINTS! PLEASE READ ON!**

**KAI AND DYLAN and DYLAN AND TALA. **The end of this chapter displayed something very important between Tala and Dylan's sibling relationship and between Kai and Dylan 'association'. What do you think it is? Really take the time to think about it. Why did Tala do what he did and why did Kai do what he did? Remember, Tala is Dylan's BROTHER and Kai is Dylan's 'FRIEND' (we'll say he's a friend to her for lack of a better word). Being a brother and being a friend are two different things, in other words, different obligations are at play. I've probably already given way too much away, but I really want people to understand the story and the relationships between everyone! If you're still having trouble trying to figure it out, put yourself in their shoes (trust me it helps lol that's how I write scenes in the story; I put myself in the characters shoes and think about what they would say, do, and how they would react).

**ANOTHER HINT.** Speaking of obligations, always question what obligation a certain character has to another. For example, what obligation does Tala have to the Blitzkrieg Boys? He's captain. What obligation does Kai have to, say, someone like Max? He's a friend (and vice versa).

**MORE HINTS! **Last chapter I asked everyone to tell me what Tala and Dylan have in common; I want EVERYONE to go read **PhoenixxLament**'s and **xxz0eyxx**'s review for **chapter 39**. They analyzed them REALLY well! I won't say what's wrong or what's right (and some of them were SPOT ON!), but like I said, they were VERY WELL ANALYZED! READ THEM!

**EVEN MORE HINTS OMFG! **Keep in mind that when Mariah received text messages from Tala, they were _actually_ from Dylan sent through Tala's phone. Hilary was with Mariah when she got the text messages so she knows about them and Lee read these text messages as well. Although all fingers point to Tala for obvious reasons...no one knows who the real culprit was. Also, Tala doesn't even know those text messages were sent from his phone (for example, when Lee accused him of texting Mariah the 'breakfast in bed' text, he denied it and even told Lee to look through his phone). In addition, when Julia went through his phone when he slept over, she couldn't find the text messages either.

**MATHILDA. **WATCH HER! This chapter told you a lot about her, just like the other chapters. Remember in the elevator, she 'unintentionally' told Tala that something might be going on with Spencer and Mariah and that Mariah really likes Spencer. Fast forward a little bit and she 'unintentionally' tells Julia that there's something 'shady' going on with Tala and Mariah and that Mariah might still like Tala. Also recall from **chapter 22** that Dylan mentions to Tala about Mariah liking Spencer as well and in **chapter 25 **when Julia comes over to pick up Tala for their date, Dylan tells her that Tala's texting Mariah behind her back. Can you figure things out? **Hint:** Dylan and Mathilda are saying the SAME THINGS to the SAME PEOPLE and Dylan and Mathilda, according to this chapter, are FRIENDS.

**There are a lot more, but if I were to continue, it would take up a million pages :P In the meantime, I hope that helps! And I pray to the higher power above I didn't give much away :( The sacrifices I make for my readers :P Jk, I love you! xoxo**

**Qiuyue – **You can lift double your weight? I can't even open a fucking door! :| And your bro is 6'2? WTF? That's HUGE, what the hell! I completely cracked up at you describing pregnancy as an STD LMAO! I was sorta kinda going out with this guy and JUST yesterday he told me that all he wanted to do was, well, you know. He thought I was 'like that'. So annoying. It's a good thing you and your ex became friends! When I suggested that to my ex, he said, and I quote "with that sexual tension we have, it's not a good idea...". WHAT sexual tension? I swear, ALL guys can think about is sex!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **2 MONTH OLD KITTEN! OMG! OMG! SOOOO CUTE! What kind of kitten? Ahhh, I hate you! :( I had an 8 week old kitten but 1) my mom hates pets and practically kicked me out of the house when I brought it in, 2) I'm SO allergic to cats! The year after, I bought a Chihuahua lol...got kicked out again LOL! But I gave it away in 9 days, I just couldn't handle it! I can't even handle myself! It took a shit all over my room...and it wasn't even solid poop, it was RUNNY and my room was carpeted!

**LovelyKitsune – **I've never seen Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs! Coach Carter was actually – believe it or not – inspired from the guy in Fall Out Boy's _Dance Dance _music video (the part in the bathroom) AND my grade 7 and 8 gym teacher. She'd make us do jumping jacks in the hallways :| She's lucky she only did 20...we had to do 100, and every time we got tired, they'd add an extra 50! I shit you not! About Tala and Dylan, they don't necessarily look alike, just for a few things here and there (such as their eyes). She's blonde, he's a redhead, she's about 5'7, he's 5'11 (all mentioned in the story). About your questions to me! I was in university, I got kicked out (I know...) so college was my only other option; I'm doing accounting there (same as what I did in university). I actually have a test tomorrow lol but I'm taking a break :P And yes, I do live in Canada! Toronto to be exact. I've never really been outside of Canada, I've been to Bangladesh once (country beside India and Burma) when I was 9, but that was it. I've been to New York and New Jersey in the States (those are only 8 hours away from Toronto) but other than that, I haven't been anywhere! Sad I know lol.

**Zeratheliger – **Nooo, Tala didn't apply to the universities for Dylan, that's impossible. The letters were addressed to him (the offers of admission) and then he declined them. He applied to the universities for himself, but didn't end up going, even though he got accepted everywhere including Harvard. The questions you posed in your review...EXCELLENT QUESTIONS! I'm glad you caught onto the message that Kenny sent Dylan over Facebook...buuut Dylan can't access her Facebook, Tala can! So there's bit of a 'threat' there. And about Evian from my other story, I'll probably put up a picture of her too...maybe when I update that story! Haha.

**Eloquent dreams**

**Bellainucullen – **Dylan being mad at her parents b/c Tala might get more attention is a good guess, HOWEVER, remember, Tala was 'kicked out' of home when he was 14, Dylan was sent when she was 17 (meaning their parents put up with Dylan more). Also, although their parents watch Tala's matches and stuff, there was a part in the story where it was mentioned that Hayden Ivanov (their father) was probably proud of Dylan's 'accomplishment' of being a BBA cheerleader. And Dylan is also spoiled (this was mentioned since the first chapter, first paragraph, how she spends her parents' money). And throughout the chapter, Tala keeps bringing up that their parents babied Dylan (doing her laundry, cleaning up after her, making her lunch for school, letting her get away with everything, giving her money when she needs it, etc). It is safe to assume that Hayden and Miranda Ivanov love their kids equally.

**PhoenixxLament – **YOUR REVIEW BLEW ME AWAY! I just had to mention it for everyone to read! SUCH good observations! I'm so happy haha! It was just so well thought out and I'm really glad you were able to catch on! Hope this update was fast enough :P

**Xxz0eyxx – **I had to mention your review for everyone to read along with the other one! I'm so, so, SO impressed! Some of them are SO right, I just can't say what! Anyways, my bro is like your bro. He breaks things and stuff too. Rage issues I guess haha.

**Tany – **I'm really glad you thought the fight made Dylan and Tala's sibling relationship more real! That's exactly what I was aiming for! Thanks so much! And as for Tala getting wiser...you might be onto something :P I was stereotyped as a, quote, 'goth' when I was 15...and you know why? BECAUSE I WORE EYELINER! :| I did wear it a bit too heavy back then (and plus I didn't even know how to put it on lmao), but eyeliner? Seriously? I didn't wear dark clothes or anything like that, but this just goes to show you that people will judge out of ANYTHING!


	41. Chapter Forty One

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

After Kai intentionally blew Dylan's cover in the cupboards, things got a little awkward for a few seconds. Tala ran to the basement pretending to have gone downstairs to get alcohol, Ian put his headphones over his ears, Bryan began having his dinner, and Spencer just exchanged glances with everybody, a dumb look on his face.

The only person who gave the situation any kind of attention was, much to Mathilda's surprise, Kai himself. While Dylan only stared at the tiled kitchen floor not bothering with any eye contact, the bluenette stared at Mathilda, his expression a stern one. Half-scared of him, the hedgehog immediately looked down also only to be bombarded by an order from him, "Go talk to her upstairs,"

Mathilda coughed a few times, for she had choked on her own saliva after having _Kai Hiwatari _support her on something. Something that didn't even remotely involve him and wasn't about beyblading. She was stunned, but took his blessing nonetheless, nodding as she made the first move as imposed by the phoenix, "Come on," She took the blonde's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and headed upstairs. She opened the door to Dylan's room and once inside, they both took refuge on the her mattress, the blonde casually lying down, the pinkette leaning against the wall with her feet up, her chin resting on her knees. Neither girls looked at each other and they remained in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Mathilda let out a deep breath, her pink eyes landing on the blonde, "We need to talk,"

"What do we have to talk about?"

"I know you're mad,"

"I'm not mad," Denial.

"I know you,"

"You _don't_ know me,"

"Dylan..." Mathilda looked around the room, preparing herself for admission. Not just verbal admission, but admission to herself. She missed talking on the phone, she missed texting, she missed gossiping, she missed talking shit about people, she even missed Dylan talking about Kai so, um, 'explicitly'. On second thought, maybe she didn't miss that too much, but she did miss Dylan in general, even if it had only been for just a few days. Somehow and somewhere along the way in a strange twist of fate, Dylan had become a _friend. _She sighed, "It's just that everyone keeps telling me not to trust you and it's just so hard when that's all I have to hear from people about you,"

Dylan raised a brow, "I thought you just said you knew me,"

Silence again. Then, "I'm sorry," Mathilda's head tilted to the side upon sincerity's reflex, "I am so sorry,"

"If people are telling you not to trust me, then maybe you shouldn't,"

"I don't care," Mathilda shrugged, "I just don't anymore. I've been upset, I lost a beybattle and put my team at risk of losing out from the tournament, I've just really been feeling like shit, and it's all because of us. I'm done pretending, I'm done trying to make myself think that we're not friends, and I'm done listening to what people have to say about you. I don't know if you're going to screw me over in the end or not, Dylan, I don't think you will, I hope you don't, but I'm willing to take that risk,"

"What _is_ this? Romeo and Juliet?"

Ultimately coming to an understanding, Mathilda beamed, "Dibs on Juliet,"

"I don't want a penis," She paused, "And I don't have diarreah!"

Upon remembrance, Mathilda had burst out laughing, slapping her knee even, "Only _your_ brother would ever make up something like that," As the amusement died down, she fiddled with her fingers, "So everything is cool with us?"

The blonde smirked, "You know Juliet can't live without Romeo,"

"So," The pinkette grabbed and embraced a cushion, "I have to tell you something about Julia,"

Dylan's eyes widened with interest, her lips curving into a smile, "Tell me,"

"That day I went out with her after training, we went to the mall. We were just shopping around and stuff and while we're walking around, we start talking about Tyson and then out of nowhere Julia brings up Kai, and she's like 'oh I don't like him, he's an asshole, he has something against me and Tala going out, blah, blah, blah',"

"_Shut _up!"

"That's what I said. Tala and Kai are friends and if Tala's seeing someone, it's just policy that Kai's supposed to respect the girl and not hate on her, and if _I_ know this, I'm sure Kai would too,"

"That's so fucked up. He's just not like that,"

"That's what Hilary said too, because she's known him for a while when he was with the Bladebreakers,"

"Yeah, see? The dumb bitch probably did something to him because the type of guy Kai is, he wouldn't just _not_ like someone for no reason. I don't know him that well, but I know him enough to know that he just minds his own business and doesn't really care about this kind of crap. Oh, that reminds me, his dad talked to me _again_,"

"What the hell?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "He found me when I was walking home from school and took me to some cafe or whatever. Then he starts talking about Kai and how he has to talk to him because it's about legal shit," She waved her hand around in emphasis, "And all this stuff,"

"What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, like honestly, he's telling me to tell Kai to talk to him, but at the same time Kai told me not to talk to him so it's not like I can just randomly go up to him and be like 'hey, so I went out with your dad', you know what I mean? It's so retarded,"

"Then there's Tala because even he told you not to talk to him,"

"Yeah, so it's just like..." She sighed.

"You're basically playing both sides,"

"And it's so hard,"

"If Kai finds out, he'll be mad at you. If Tala finds out, he'll kick your ass. If Kai finds out that Tala knew about his dad taking you out the first time around and didn't bother telling him, he's gonna be all what the hell and they're gonna fight. I know I'm the one that kinda suggested that you tell Kai the first time around regardless of what Ian and Tala were thinking, and I hate to admit it, but Tala was right: shit _is_ hitting the fan,"

"I was right about what?"

The girls were startled as the bedroom door opened abruptly, the infamous redhead poking his head in. While Mathilda rolled her eyes, Dylan eyed the older Ivanov, "Um hello? Do you know how to knock?"

"Um _hello_ your face, it's my room," He'd countered, one hand resting on the door knob as he leaned in, "Mathilda, you staying for dinner?"

She stayed, though the concept of sitting at the same table with the Blitzkrieg Boys and having dinner with them was rather odd for her. Rewind a while back, she'd never had the chance to even _talk_ to any of them. Come back to the present, she was at their house. And surprisingly, they were actually...okay. Nobody made a homemade bomb out of salt and pepper, no one randomly pulled out a gun from their back pockets, there were no 'death glares', and Mathilda didn't fear for her life even while sitting next to Ian.

"You want more soup?" He even offered when her bowl was nearly empty.

Mannerisms weren't something she expected from the team given their reputation, and thus, she was surprised by their gestures. Holding her bowl up close to the pot, she nodded, "Sure,"

"You actually like it?"

"It's not so foreign to me,"

"You're Russian?" Ian enquired.

"South African," She corrected, surprised brows rising from a few at the table at the revelation of her background, "But we eat a lot of vegetables like you guys,"

"So Miguel and everyone...?"

"We're all from South Africa," She paused, "Well, Miguel is half Lebanese,"

Amused by the information, Dylan smirked, "I'd tap the hell out of that,"

"How fucking fascinating," Tala begun sarcastically with a wrinkled nose, "Why don't you tell more about what other guy you wanna do? I'd love to hear all about my sister's sex life," His comment had earned him a pathetic look from Mathilda, who snidely looked him up and down.

"At least she has one,"

Nearly choking on his bite, Spencer muffled his laughter, "Dry,"

"Yeah," Tala glared at Spencer prior to pitching an insult, "Dry like your upper lip,"

"More like dry like your dick 'cause it hasn't been in a pussy in so long,"

Ian cracked up, "Actually he hasn't been able to bag a girl in so long, he's thinking about Spencer's lips,"

Rolling his eyes, Bryan smacked the wooden table a few times to restore order, "Enough with the homosexual jokes; I thought we agreed we weren't going to have any more of those," He turned to Mathilda, "So South African and Lebanese; that's an interesting background Miguel has,"

"Aren't you mixed too?" Ian eyed Kai, "Wasn't your mom an exchange student to Russia and that's how your dad met her?"

"Kai's like a Kinder Surprise: on the outside, he's Russian, on the inside, he's a fucking surprise," Tala laughed out loud at his own analogy, "He doesn't know what his other half is,"

"Maybe he's half South African," Suggested Mathilda mostly as a joke, but it had encouraged everyone else to lend out their opinions and guesses.

"He could be part Armenian," The redhead shrugged.

"Or Turkish," Added Ian.

"Italian?" Dylan had put forth.

Bryan shook his head in disagreement, "You're all wrong. He's probably half Polish or Ukrainian or German,"

At last everyone turned to Spencer, who stared at the ceiling with a finger resting on his lip and he thought deeply. Finally, he raised a finger and his eyes widened as he came to a conclusion, "Jamaican!"

**x x x**

The weekend had finally rolled by. That meant some serious training for the Blitzkrieg Boys. They were determined to snag first place in the tournament this year. Then again, they were determined every year. Alas, determination seemed nothing compared to the power of Tyson and Daichi.

"Pipsqueaks," Bryan muttered as he left the training room for a break. Perhaps, he thought, Tyson really deserved more credit from the Blitzkrieg Boys. They'd been able to beat everyone they ever faced _except _him. Not Tala, not even the great Kai. Nobody could beat Tyson. Although he came out as rather dense, maybe there was more to Tyson than anyone could ever think. There had to be for him to be able to keep his championship title for so ridiculously long.

And he made it look so easy...

He continued down the T-shaped hallway, stopping abruptly as he heard voices from the corner of the hallway.

"I'm on my period,"

"I just got mine,"

"I hate pads,"

He rolled his eyes, poking his head out a little to find Dylan and Mathilda, the blonde being attired in her cheerleader uniform and the latter in her usual clothes. They must have been taking breaks also from their respective activities.

"Try a tampon?"

"The only thing that'll ever go up my va -" Bryan cringed, putting his hands over his ears and then taking them off, "is a di -" Only to put them back on. Ugh, he could have really gone without knowing about their girly dilemmas. He decided to turn back to avoid the two; he could use the other washroom, but just as he was about to go on with his plan, a third voice in the picture had stopped him.

"Hey you," It had sounded an awful lot like Lee, and as he looked into the perpendicular hallway for a second time, his assumption was confirmed. He'd come from a different end of the corridors in approach of the girls.

The blonde looked over her shoulder, as did her other female counterpart, "Yeah?"

"Dylan, right?"

"Maybe,"

"Don't play games with me,"

The blonde raised a brow, turning fully around to face Lee, "Do I even know you, sweetheart?"

"Mariah tells me you two are friends so I'm sure you know who I am," Though surprised, Dylan had kept her mouth shut, allowing Lee to continue, "And I'm aware friends tell friends everything, but there was no need to go tattle to her about what happened with me and your _bro_,"

"What the fuck?"

"Quit playing dumb. She knows what happened with me and Tala, and guess who else was in there? You,"

"Well sorry to burst the bubble that you spent your precious time coming up with, but I didn't say anything to anybody,"

"You did so,"

"If she said she didn't say anything," Mathilda had butt in, "Then she didn't say anything,"

"Then how did Mariah find out?"

Dylan snorted, "I don't fucking know,"

"I don't have time for this crap. All I've come here to tell you is to keep your mouth shut and stop ratting things out to everyone and stay out of my business,"

"Sure," She shrugged nonchalantly, "As long as you stay out of Tala's business,"

From the other corridors, the lilac haired blader narrowed his eyes, half in surprise, half in confusion. He decided not to question it and instead followed his gut this time, and it was when Lee growled in annoyance, ready with another comeback for the blonde that Bryan finally stepped out of hiding. He strolled towards the scene and situated himself in between both parties, "Have nothing better to do with your time than to pick on young girls?" He loomed over Lee hazardously, his arms crossed in the process, "If I ever see you giving them nuisance, then that's it, you're done," It was a threat and not an empty one either coming from a Blitzkrieg Boy. He didn't bother waiting for Lee to say something as he turned around and motioned for the girls to start walking.

No one said anything, but once they reached the end of the hallway, the girls meaning to take a left and him meaning to take a right, Bryan and Dylan glanced at each other briefly. They tried to figure each other out. They couldn't do it. At least not entirely, but good guesses were made about each other in which a silent mutual understanding had developed. Then, just like that, they'd gone their separate ways.

**x x x**

For the Blitzkrieg Boys, training had finally come to an end, as did cheer practice. Tossing the empty water bottle into the recycling bin, Tala put on his jacket and watched as his younger counterpart entered the room, also jacketed and ready to leave for home.

"Aren't you going to take Julia out or something?" Ian enquired as he closed his laptop.

"She's not talking to me,"

Bryan raised a brow, "What do you mean she's not talking to you?"

The redhead shrugged, "I don't know, she's not talking to me. Anyways, let's get going, come on, I'm hungry,"

"Hn," Kai picked up his things, "I'm going to the gym,"

"And I'm actually going to stay with Mattie for a while,"

Oh, the horror. Kai knew she was lying; while he narrowed his eyes at the blonde, she sent him a devilish grin. He exited the training room as fast as possible, though he didn't know what speed would do to save him. It didn't; she'd followed him into the empty indoor basketball court. He dribbled the ball, staring at her from a few feet away in irritation before passing it over to her; if she was going to be in here, he might as well make some kind of use out of her presence.

"This is fun," The blonde smirked, "But I'd much rather play one-on-one football with you," She threw the ball towards the net; it hit the rim instead and bounced off and Kai quickly caught it for his turn. But his turn seemed never ending. He'd get it in every time – that's what she said – and seize the basketball for himself right away as it fell through the net. She tried to get it back, but her skills, or lack thereof, were incomparable to Kai's. Truth be told she sucked, but he gave her points – generously – for effort. Besides, being a guy, being a little taller than her, and having lots of practice under his belt had given him the upper hand.

Too bad it was about to come to an end.

He held the ball up with one hand almost tauntingly and watched as she attempted to thwack it out of his hands. An amused smirk played on his lips as he watched her jump a few times even to reach for it. After countless tries she seemed to give up and took a step back, but it was as soon as she grinned he realized it was just an act. In a fast move, she made a grab for his crotch, the action instantly making him drop the ball in reflex to save his family jewels.

He glared at her retreating back, his last name on the back of her cheerleader shirt adding to the irony of it all as she jogged towards the opposite net to score a goal. He followed her and just as she was about to shoot, doing that little girly hop in the process, he'd come up from behind and lifted up her skirt, the palm of his hand smacking her butt cheek. She let out a girly scream, losing the ball as she placed her hands on her behind, "Kai!"

He took possession over the basketball in the meantime, throwing it into the net with one hand just to rub it in, "Can't handle a little spanking?"

"That hurt,"

"Then you won't be able to handle the real thing,"

Her mouth opened in surprise, a chuckle escaping, "You're bad,"

"Hn," He let the ball roll to the sidelines and picked up his jacket ignoring her 'are we going home?' as he led the way out of the recreation center and to the parking lot. The drive was short, but it wasn't a drive to home. He parked the car at a nearby restaurant and though she asked another question, a rhetorical one this time, she'd followed him despite it going unanswered. They were seated at a table with two menus being handed over.

"Have things been resolved with your friend from California?"

"Not yet," She shrugged, "Whatevs, I don't really care,"

"I assume the conflict was over a guy,"

"Kind of. Just this guy I was supposed to go to prom with; he looks like Tyrese a little bit," Another shrug, "It's just that a while back she was going out with this guy, Shawn, and I might have maybe, kinda, sorta, like a teeny tiny bit, had a crush on him too, but I never told her that and besides, she saw him first so obviously...anyways, things didn't work out with them and he asked me out a month later,"

"And you went out with him so your friend is getting you back for that,"

"Of course not. It's just code, like I can't do that no matter how much I wanted to, and I _really_ wanted to. I said no to him and I even told him why, because, like, Mallory and him and then Mallory and me, like, that's just not how it works, and I just thought she'd know how it works too,"

"You've said 'like' three times in that sentence,"

She chuckled, "Shut up,"

"What would it take for her to be forgiven?"

"For her to actually be sorry. She was telling me 'oh, but I had too many drinks and he's the one that came onto me, but I'm really sorry'," She rolled her eyes, "That's not an apology, that's an excuse,"

"I see your level of intelligence is progressing,"

She sent him a lame look before continuing, "I just want her to be like 'hey I messed up, I'm really sorry', something like that. I really do love her, you know, she's my best friend and I don't wanna be mad at her, it's really, really, really hard. It upsets me that I can't talk to her, it's like losing an arm or a leg," She sighed, "I don't know, maybe it's not her fault. I'm not even in L.A. anymore..." She absentmindedly scanned the restaurant, the tip of her thumb on her bottom lip, "So," She looked back at him, both her brows rising slightly marking the beginning of an entirely new topic, "Did you think about talking to your dad yet?"

He'd only shifted his eyes at her in warning but when she continued staring at him, he frowned, "I don't see how that is any of your business,"

"Obvs it's not my business," She confirmed, "Whatever's happening with you and your dad is between you and your dad. You don't have to tell me what happened and I'm not asking you to tell me what happened either – that's your business. All I'm saying is that I think you should talk to him,"

"Hn,"

"You really take your dad for granted," It had gotten a slight reaction out of him as he gave her a quizzical look, to which she elaborated, "Your dad loves you," And before he could have any kind of comment to the statement, verbal, she'd made the prediction, "And I _know_ you're going to roll your eyes at me because you think he doesn't love you, but he does, he's your dad, all dads love their kids even if it doesn't seem that way, but that's not the case with yours'; with your dad you can really tell that he cares about you a lot and I think you're making a huge mistake by ignoring him,"

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he's your dad and he's your _only_ dad, it's not like you have two or three or more. No one's ever going to love you the way your dad does," She paused as the waiter came by to drop off their drinks, a Shirley Temple for herself, a beer for him, "Anyways," She stirred her drink with the straw, "You never told me you were mixed,"

"You never asked,"

"You're hot as it is, so I can't imagine how much hotter it's going to be if you're like half Spanish or half Portuguese or half Brazilian or something. How can you not know what you are, though? I mean your mom -"

"I've never met my mother,"

"Are you serious?" There was a brief pause, "Didn't your dad ever tell you what your mom was?"

"No,"

"Do you even know what your mom looked like?"

"No,"

"Well," She sipped her Shirley Temple before putting it aside with a grin, "She really must have been something for you to come out this good,"

Same to her, Kai had to admit. He couldn't deny that she was an attractive girl the same way he couldn't deny that Brooklyn Kingston was an incredible beyblader even with their well known and highly publicized grudge. The very first thing he noticed about her, as strange as it may seem to notice such a thing, was her eyebrows. They weren't drawn in, they weren't pencil thin, they weren't overdramatic; they were groomed, full, perfect in shape, and slightly arched, the colour matching the darker blonde in the roots of her hair, all of this upping that bombshell edge.

And that was just the thing. Hilary was absolutely beautiful and elegant but Dylan was _hot_. She had that 'thing' oozing out of her, that certain look that made men – and women – do a double take. What that 'thing' was, he didn't know, but there was just a 'thing'. Perhaps it was because she was actually quite low maintenance; she didn't try too hard, she didn't spend hours in front of a mirror trying to look 'perfect', and although she was very feminine, she wasn't over-the-top girly.

Her style was very 'breezy' and Abercrombie-ish; tank tops topped off with a cardigan and skinnies that would sometimes be worn with a thin braided belt. Her makeup was always very simple and natural, essentially following the 'less is more' rule: a little liner, tinted cheeks, and glossy lips – end of story. Jewellery for her consisted of bracelets or diamond stud earrings. As for her nails, they were never long neither bitten down short; they were a good length and usually painted in shades of red or pink, sometimes even sporting a French mani.

Finally, lunch ended and the bill was dropped off, to which the phoenix noticed the blonde pulling a few bills out of her wallet, "Here's half." She put a twenty on the table and he nodded, putting another twenty into the bill tray himself.

**x x x**

Sprawled across his mattress with his feet on the ground, Tala checked his phone; still no calls or messages from Julia. Since their little dispute, there was no contact with the Latina. Sitting up and grabbing his car keys off his bedside table, he made his way downstairs.

"Where you going, man?" Ian enquired lazily, his eyes focused on the television.

"Out," He managed to say before heading out the door and to his car. While driving to the hotel, he frowned – it was like déjà vu. Parking the Toyota in the underground parking lot, he practically slammed his door shut. Once on the floor F-Dynasty was staying, he strolled towards their respective room, "Julia?" He knocked on the door, fiddling with the knob by habit, "It's me, open the door,"

The door opened, only slightly revealing half of Julia's face, "Don't tell me to open the door. Leave me alone. Bye,"

"_Wait_," He requested, "Come out, let me talk to you,"

"About what?"

"Julia, this is enough. I haven't seen or talked to you for a while. I was actually waiting for you to call me and you never did,

"Are you stupid? Why would I call you? Do you have any idea what you did?"

"Do you? You said something really messed up that night,"

"Oh, so I say something 'messed up' and it gets to you, but when you mention a girl you've had history with and compare me to her, it's no big deal, right?"

"First of all, that _girl_ is your friend and second, I didn't compare you to her. I was only telling you how she avoided Dylan's stupidity because I know how you feel, I know my sister's a bitch, I was just trying to help you,"

"Sure,"

"Look, if that's really how you've been feeling then I'm sorry. That's not what I had meant,"

"Mmmhmm,"

"Come on, this is stupid,"

Julia crossed her arms, "I don't want you mentioning Mariah around me ever again,"

"Alright, I'm sorry, I won't mention her,"

"I don't want you to talk to her,"

"I thought you guys were friends,"

"Mariah and I are friends, but you and Mariah don't need to be friends,"

"Not that I even talk to her that much, but what do you want me to do? Ignore her completely? That's impossible; we have too many mutual friends,"

"Make it possible,"

"I can't," The door had just about slammed on his face, but he'd managed to hold it back, "_Okay_," He'd practically surrendered, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stop talking to her,"

"Fine,"

"I mean it, Tala,"

"Okay! I said okay!"

"You don't seem sincere about it," She glanced down at his jean pockets, "Give me your phone," Though his patience was starting to shrink, he'd kept his cool and handed over his Blackberry, to which she eagerly took it, "I'm deleting Mariah's number,"

"K,"

Seconds later, her brow raised, "Who's Lauren?"

"Dylan's friend,"

"Sarah? Mallory? Anjana? Kri -"

"Same thing,"

"Why are they on your phone?"

"Because," He sighed, "She doesn't have a phone so she uses mine," He watched her roll her eyes and then give him back his phone, "So are we done with all this BS? I don't wanna fight with you,"

She nodded with a smile, "You're forgiven."

* * *

**JULIA AND TALA...**are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend! YET! They're SEEING each other (as in dating, 'checking', whatever word/description floats your boat!). They're interested in each other, they both know that, they're beyond the friendship stage BUT, I REPEAT, they are NOT official yet! You'll know when they're in a relationship.

**STORY HINTS! **I want EVERYONE to go read **marishka91**'s review for chapter 40 (she sent two, read both). That's how everyone should be analyzing the story! There were a lot of REALLY GOOD reviews for chapter 40 and I think it would be a great idea if people actually read each other's reviews! Some of you are really starting to explore the storyline very well!

**ABOUT THIS CHAPTER. **This chapter was a lot longer than the others, yes, but there was a _lot_ of information revealed in each scene and almost on every character!

**Sorry I have to make this quick b/c I have a test tomorrow worth 20 percent of my final mark, so I have to go make sexy time with my accounting book! Oh lawd, I hope I don't get AIDS. **

**REVIEW PLEASE! I GOT 18 FOR THE LAST CHAPTER AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I WAS!**

**Thank you to...**

**Qiuyue – **Weight lifting for work? What kind of work do you do? And curious, which city do you live in? I wanna know b/c you said it's tiny lol. And I can understand why other guys would be scared away by your ex lol, I think for those guys it's an insecurity thing, like if you're not with him then why are you still friends with him sorta thing. I'm still not sure whether my ex is my ex or if we're boyfriend and girlfriend! I'm having a hard time admitting we're friends with benefits, if that's even the case. Btw, I love how you related it to the story when you mentioned Tala and Mariah haha!

**50525 – **I private msged you! I guess you didn't check it but what I said was: YOU'RE A GUY! (And I have more exclamation marks but when I post this, it only lets me put one exclamation mark...). SERIOUSLY YOU'RE A GUY? Omg I had no idea there was a guy reading my story haha! I have to be careful about anything weird and girly that I might mention in my author's notes from now on :P LOL! Omg, I have sooo many questions for you! Why are you in the University of Tokyo? What program are you in? Do you know Japanese! Why are you moving back to Toronto? Btw, regarding your question about high school from a few chapters ago, I went to RH King. I think the school you were talking about – King City – is past Oshawa or something? And stop thinking with your balls lol it confuses us women...though we should know better I guess lol. As for what I do now...I don't know if you've read in my other author's notes or anything, it's been mentioned a few times, but I was dismissed from university (I know...) so I basically had to start from scratch. I just started college this May. I have to work too, since I'm not getting OSAP. I'm basically just trying to find my way back into university, get my commerce degree and do my CA and all. We'll see how it goes!

**LovelyKitsune – **Don't laugh that I got kicked out! :( And yeah, poor grades is why I got kicked out. I didn't realize that not going to class and not buying your text books can put you into so much shit. I know it sounds stupid, but that was my logic in first year! I skipped some exams too. To be honest, I actually had no idea you could get kicked out of a university! It was so shocking to me when I got the letter, like I had picked my courses for the next year too, it was just really weird! And very upsetting. I will see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs! I'll probably watch it this weekend on my computer or something. I've seen Finding Nemo! My all time fave is Toy Story though lol. And yeah, go ahead and slap Tala all you want, no my problem :P The fun-est character to write...I have more than one. The main ones: Dylan, Tala, Kai, Mathilda, Mariah – they're def. fun to write! The others are too!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **Mathilda cooould like Tala...but she's still 16 (turning 17 soon!) and he's 19. It sounds a bit gross for now...but maybe when they're in their 20s! LOL! I wouldn't count on it though, to be honest lol.

**Anei – **About the sexual assault case, no, I actually didn't really do much about it. I decided that for me, school was just too important and I'm also working so I didn't think I could allocate my time for a court case too. About Dylan and Tala – Dylan's parents disconnected her phone line, so even if Tala took it, it wasn't working to begin with since there's no service. Anyways, I really, really, really have to say, your review was brilliant! The way you analyzed Dylan's character and the way you compared it to Tala – VERY well done! And I can't believe you wrote ALL of that on your phone! Holy crap lol when I review from my phone, it's usually just like 2 sentences! What kind of phone do you have? Blackberry, I assume?

**Native-kitten – **I have DLS open on my computer right now! LOL! I'm really not too sure about that story though, it's not discontinued or anything, I just have a lot of thinking to do for that story. Both Exiled and DLS are like my diaries, DLS is more emotional and psychological where as Exiled is kind of my day-to-day story. The problem is I started writing DLS when I had just turned 17, I'm almost 23 now...and like I said, I did base some of the characters off my own life and now that I've changed, it's hard to keep Evian – and even Tala and the others – in their original form of character. Basically what I'm trying to say is, the way they were in the early chapters may not be how they turn out in future chapters. Am I making any sense? Lol.

**Norweg91 **

**Tany – **Lmao when you said 'rusha' in your review, I pronounced it as 'roosha' and I was trying to figure out what it was for a good 15 mins LOL! Then I'm like OH, Russia! HAHA! Question for you, what kind of team leader were you? And what do you do in university now? As for Bryan being a heavy drinker, no, I wouldn't say so, but remember, these guys ARE 19, DO live by themselves, so they're going to drink like college/university freshman!

**ZuZu-Chan – **I actually cracked my own self up with the violent diarreah part LOL! I love how you explore Dylan's character in your review! As for your guess from the last chapter about why Tala did what he did and why Kai did what he did...SPOT on! And yup, people thought I was goth for wearing eyeliner! LOL! I know! Btw, where are you from? Your English was really good, actually! And being 15, you're def. a kid lol you're younger than my younger bro!

**Paperplanesxx – **Omg, I can't believe how short your review was but how to the point you were! GREAT review! You really looked into Tala and Dylan and Kai and Dylan's relationship really well! Btw, which phone did you get? :P

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **A little corruption always goes a long way :P

**PhoenixxLament – **REALLY GOOD REVIEW! I know I keep saying that for everyone's responses but IT IS! You and another reviewer think that Mathilda is going to hook up with Tala! Maaaaybe...but from the looks of it, probably not. Mathilda is still 16 (almost 17) and Tala is 19. She's a minor and he's practically an adult. If they were older, that age difference wouldn't matter, but as for them hooking up...proooobably not! And the juicy important stuff will be revealed! In small portions :P About your guy drama! I'm pretty sure the girl has a problem with you. Most girlfriends do when their boyfriend's best friend or close friend is a female, it's just human nature! Have you tried talking to him? You might look at him as a friend...but what about him?

**Xxz0eyxx – **Hahaha I love how you said that I said I would reveal it...20 years ago LOL! About your review, the things you said were really good! How Dylan picked a girl off the cheerleading team meaning she knows Tala's type AND Spencer describing Mariah...you tied it all up using the 3 characters! It's like a math problem lol. And I DIED reading the part in your review about Kai being chained LOL! Some serious S & M shit going on there hahaha!

**Crying Sorceress – **That coach part may be funny to you...but that coach was based off of real life for me :| It was a female teacher too! She was like a man though. If she had to substitute some of our classes for a day or something, she'd make us do jumping jacks in the classroom...IN THE CLASSROOM! Beside our desks and chairs and all! And there would hardly be any room b/c it's like 30 people doing jumping jacks all at once! And if you got tired and she saw...she'd make you do more! Just remembering it scares me. And I would LOVE to come to California, you have no idea. That's where I plan on living, as soon as I get my career and all. It's been a dream of mine since forever! And your ideas on Dylan, Mathilda, Kai, and Tala are really good btw! And plotting is def. not a man's thing :P

**Meh – **Lmao I laughed at the violent diarreah as I was writing it LOL! Btw, I don't know if you've seen the pic for Dylan that I had on my profile but I did take it off! This was b/c I didn't want people to completely have a picture of her, like how I describe her in the story (in this chapter for example) won't turn out to be the picture, so my descriptions would have been useless. That's not how Dylan looks anyway, it was really hard – impossible, actually – to find a picture of a girl that I'M picturing, you know what I mean? Lol. But more descriptions of her will be given! And about DLS, it was actually named after the All American Rejects song lol. I was listening to that song when I made the story lol. And you suggest some songs to me!

**Marishka91 – **YOU SMART WOMAN! (or man...) I just had to tell everyone to read your review! It was just so well thought out and you really put everything together! I was really, really, really impressed! I've read your review like 10 times already b/c its just that good! I love you man lmao!

**Gigglesworth – **YOU CHANGED YOUR NAME! And I can't believe you're from Asia! I always get so excited when people review and they are from somewhere other than where I live! You have to tell me how it's like there! I've never been out of Canada lol so I have no idea what it's like around the world! What language do you speak? What do you eat? When you look out your window, what's the view?

**Coffee Prince Addict **


	42. Chapter Forty Two

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

"You're forgiven," Julia smiled, marking the end of her feud with Tala.

"Let's go out then," He suggested, checking the time on his cell phone, "You wanna see a movie?"

"Relax!" She chuckled and pulled him inside.

He strolled towards her unmade bed, plopping down on the edge of her mattress. It was when she smirked, he raised a brow, "What?"

"Raul and Romero aren't here," She took refuge on his lap, "We have the place to ourselves,"

And they immediately took advantage of being alone in the room – for once. They kissed, groped, and half their clothes had come off, but suddenly the redhead slowed things down, eventually pulling away.

Julia drew a concerned expression, "What's wrong?"

Truth be told, he didn't know. "Nothing's wrong,"

"Then..."

"What?"

"I thought we were going to..."

"Is that what you want?"

"I thought you would want that too,"

"I do," He did, he really did, and having a girl half naked and ready for action only made it harder to resist.

"Then?" She posed, "What's holding you back?

"Nothing's holding me back,"

"Are you religious or something?"

The Blitzkrieg Boy laughed, "No. This has nothing to do with religion,"

"Do you have gonorrhea?

"...no..."

"Are you gay?"

He took a deep breath, "Look, we can have sex any time we want, you're a cute girl and this isn't easy for me, but right now all I wanna do is get to know you,"

"...seriously?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "Seriously,"

"That's it?"

"Yeah,"

"Um...okay..."

He gave a reassuring smile as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, "So how about a movie?"

**x x x**

After hard work in the form of training and an overall rough week consisting of a major blowout with 'Red Bull' and then her own brother and then finding out about the Julia-Max-Miriam disaster, Mariah decided she deserved some time dedicated to herself. At the spa. A manicure, a pedicure, cucumbers on her eyes, a massage, and the whole nine yards. Paying her fees, complete with a tip, she bid farewell to what any women would regard as heaven.

She taxied it back to her hotel and just as she was about to slip into the elevators, she spotted Mathilda in the lobby, chatting away on her phone. What she was saying, Mariah couldn't make out, but that didn't matter. The White Tiger raised a brow at the 16 year old, for she had never seen her in earrings before and there she was, a pair of hoop earrings hanging off her lobes, the effect of the jewellery erasing some of that child-like and innocent appearance. Ignoring the elevator, Mariah made her way over to the couches and took a seat beside her and upon noticing, Mathilda had motioned for her to hold on.

"Hey Romeo, I'm gonna call you back in a few minutes. Alright, talk to you later,"

Mariah grinned, "Who's Romeo?"

"It's actually Dylan,"

"_You_ talk to _Dylan_?"

"_I_ don't, she does," Sucking on the sour key candy, Mathilda rolled her eyes, "Like I don't know why she talks to me,"

"Okay..."

"So what's up with you?" The 16 year old smirked, "Anything _interesting_ happen with you and Spencer yet?"

"What the hell?" Mariah wrinkled her nose, "What do you mean?"

"You're so cute when you're lost," Mathilda laughed, "How can you not know Spencer likes you? Everyone knows he has a thing for you,"

"Spencer? Blitzkrieg-Boys-Spencer? Tala's-friend-Spencer?" As Mathilda nodded, Mariah continued, "That's ridiculous, Mathilda. Where are you hearing these things?"

"From himself,"

"_You_ talk to _Spencer_? Since when?"

"Since always. Anyways, he told me he likes you," Mathilda shrugged, "He tells everybody,"

"That just doesn't seem right," The Thai looked sceptical, "Are you sure?"

"Would I ever lie to you?"

"No, that's not what I mean but..." She paused, "Does Tala know about this? Is he okay with it?"

Mathilda gave the older girl a funny look, "Why wouldn't Tala be okay with it? I mean it's not like you're his ex girlfriend, right? Besides, you and Spencer would look adorable together. You have to give him a try,"

"I don't think that's a go -"

"Don't you think he's cute?"

"Well, yeah, he's good looking and all, but -"

"Then what's the problem?" Mathilda smiled, "Look, just trust me, you won't regret it. We're all going out this weekend, come with us,"

"_You_ go out with the _Blitzkrieg Boys_?"

"Well," Mathilda fidgeted, "Okay, fine, I'm going to be honest with you: Ian kind of asked me out,"

"_Ian_ asked _you_ out?"

"I know, it's so weird. He invited me to go out with him and his team this weekend and we're supposed to go to some club. You should come; it would give you an opportunity to talk to Spencer,"

"I would love to, but -"

"When Julia and Hilary ask you to go out with them, you always go. I thought we were friends,"

Mariah immediately shook her head at the declaration, "Oh my God, no, Mathilda, no, don't think like that," She placed a hand over hers', "I'm your friend, please don't think otherwise. It's just that things are a little complicated right now," She sighed, "If I go, it's going to be really awkward,"

"Why will it be awkward?"

She sighed, "Tala and I aren't really on speaking terms,"

"Why?"

"Something happened,"

"What happened?"

"Don't tell anyone. The only other person that knows about this is Hilary,"

"Yeah of course, I promise," Mathilda was attentive as Mariah spilled the beans, nodding every now and then until the tale came to an end, "So you feel like if you come with us, it'll be uncomfortable,"

"Yeah,"

"Well I can tell you for a fact that it won't be. Think about it: we're gonna be at a club, everyone will probably be doing their own thing, and Tala will most likely be with Julia so there's nothing to worry about,"

"I don't know,"

"Trust me, Mariah, I know. Right now you're just worrying too much, but you'll see when you come that everything's fine. Half the time he'll be with Julia and the other half, Dylan will probably eat his brains out so he probably won't even notice you, and even if he does, you know that Tala would never say anything to you, he's not like that,"

"Yeah, he's not, he'll probably just play it off,"

"See?" Mathilda grinned, "Problem solved!"

**x x x**

It was only a few minutes since Tala had gotten home and already his phone was going off with a call. He reached for it and though it was from Mathilda and for Dylan, he picked up anyway, "Hello?"

"Hey Tala, what's up? Is Dylan home?"

"Probably, hold on," He lowered the phone, "Dill Pickle!" He shouted as he climbed up the stairs, "Phone!" And just as he reached his room, the blonde snatched the phone out of his hands. He rolled his eyes as she immediately went into the bathroom for secrecy, locking the door and even turning on the tap water.

In the meantime, the redhead lazed around his room, his head buried into his pillow casually as he waited for dinner, and when it was time, he along with the rest of his teammates reunited in the kitchen. "So what has everyone been up to?" Bryan enquired as he served himself a plate full of food.

"I've just been busy with Tala's beyblade," Ian sighed, "I need a break,"

"Well you're in luck, sweetheart," Dylan begun, "One of the girls from the BBA cheer squad got into university so a few of us are going out to celebrate tomorrow night,"

"A cheerleader getting into university?" Ian laughed, "What the hell?"

"What did she get into?" Tala joined the ridicule, "Bachelor of Pom-Pom-ology?"

"Close, but no," The blonde cut up her chicken into smaller pieces, "She got into electrical engineering,"

Violently choking on whatever piece of food that was in his mouth, Tala reached for his glass of water while Ian gaped at the blonde, "...wa?"

"She's starting next fall at NYU," She detailed before looking around the table at each of them with an insulting smile, "It's so nice to see that some people actually do something with their life. Anyways," She continued, "We're going clubbing tomorrow and since I'm one of the nicest people in the world that you'll ever meet, I got you guys all on the guest list,"

"Fuck yeah!" Spencer grinned, a fist pounding the table in excitement.

"I know, right? Girls, alcohol, and free admission to a club – what more can you guys ask for? You're all invited! Yay!" The cheer captain faked enthusiasm.

"Add one more to the guest list," Tala started, "Julia,"

"Oh, that's so cute, I would love to. Unfortunately the guest list is full and on top of that, the club restricts hideous people, I mean I know that's not really fair for everyone who's just not as blessed as I am, but that's just how the world works," Her head tilted to the side and pouted, "I'm so sorry, hun,"

"You can count me out then, I'm not going,"

Spencer gave the redhead a pathetic look, "Are you retarded? You're coming,"

"He's right," The blonde agreed, "You have to come. It took a lot of time convincing the manager to put you on the guest list; he didn't want you in because he was afraid you'd scare everyone out of the club,"

He wrinkled his nose, "What the fuck?"

"Tala, you look like the devil. People go clubbing to drink and have fun, not freak out thinking it's judgement day and that you're here for Jesus or something,"

"Yeah, okay," The older Ivanov rolled his eyes, "I'm still not interested. The last time I went out on _your_ plans, I had to deal with a whole bunch of shit afterwards,"

"Well the last time you went, we weren't there," Ian reasoned, "So don't worry, we got your back," He playfully punched the redhead on the arm, essentially confirming Tala's attendance for him.

**x x x**

After ordering a few beyblade parts online for himself, Daichi, and Tyson, Kenny navigated through his Facebook. There were no new messages in his inbox. "Hmm," He'd expected some kind of a reply from Dylan by now, but there were none. Perhaps she was busy with school and cheerleading. Then there were her friends. And boys. Nonetheless, he decided to shoot her another one:

_Hi Dylan,_

_Let me know when you're free so we can go over the specs for his beyblade._

_-Kenny_

* * *

**I know...**short chapter, but this chapter is basically the pedestal for some serious drama about to come up! Also, there was some character development happening here, hope everyone picked up on those.

**KAI'S OTHER BACKGROUND**. It's not Japanese. The others had suggested certain countries where his mother may have been from (Spencer's doesn't count :P); it was your job to wonder why they suggested those countries. If he was half Asian, it would have been obvious in his appearance, but since nobody guessed it, it's safe to assume that he does not have an Asian background. Mathilda said **South African**, Tala said **Armenian**, Ian said **Turkish**, Dylan said **Italian**, and Bryan said **German, Polish, or Ukrainian**. What do their suggestions this tell you about Kai's appearance?

**HOW I WRITE THIS STORY.** Many of you have asked me how I know so much about Russia. I don't lol. I have never been out of Canada (except once for 4 months to Bangladesh), but other than that Canada is all I know (so in actual fact, I don't even know about California!).

To be honest with you, I, too, thought Russia was a 'big chunk of ice' just as Dylan did in the first chapter. I wanted to make this story as realistic as possible and so, thanks to Google Maps (LOL I KNOW!) and tourist videos of Russia on YouTube and research on what kinds of things they eat, what their weather is like, and testimonies from actual Russian people that I'd run into at work or people that have been there, etc., I was able to create this. YouTube videos were by far the most helpful b/c I got a very REAL feel of what the country was like; it was almost like being there.

This is how I've been able to develop Dylan's character very well in terms of her surprises by the Russian culture and environment. I also used my own experience from visiting Bangladesh to give her a more 'natural' perception of Russia. When I went to Bangladesh, I was really surprised (good and bad lol) by many things.

By writing Exiled, I learned a LOT about Russia – I had no idea it was such a modern country! I felt really stupid after reading about the country , but I think for anyone that's lived in North America for their whole life, our views on other countries are probably a little messed up (This may not apply to everyone! Some Canadians/Americans who have never been out of the respective countries actually know their geography and have read up and done research on other cultures!).

As for the other things in this story, such as relationship problems, flirting, friendships, fights, and drama, 99 per cent of them are based off my real life experiences. **Example: **'Dylan' is a common name, but the way everyone gets her name wrong (Dee-lan, Dy-li-an, etc) is the way everyone gets my name wrong lol. Even the characters are VERY LOOSELY based off real people: Tala to my own brother, Kai to my boyfriend/ex boyfriend (and sometimes other guys that I have dated), Mathilda to my best friend, Mallory to my ex best friend (yes the friend that I lost over Facebook lol I wrote about it in one of the chapters), Julia to my friend's ex girlfriend, etc.

**THANK FOR EVERYONE THAT REVIEWED! I LOVE YOU ALL! XOXO!**

**PhoenixxLament – **Kai and Dylan are always pervy ;) Let's see how far they go! And as I wrote 'he'd get it in every time', I paused and I'm like :O My mind will never come out of the gutter lmao. As for Brooklyn, be careful what you wish for! About hockey, EVERYONE here watches hockey! And they go CRAZY! (DID YOU SEE THE VANCOUVER RIOTS AFTER THEY LOST THIS YEAR? I used to live there!) I don't really watch hockey, maybe just the last game, that's all. What are your fave teams? And tell me about Texas! I really wanna go there! We should trade places lmao.

**Norweg91 – **Very good examination of Dylan and Mathilda!

**Zeratheliger – **Will Tala ever find out what Bryan did? Hmm...you'll have to wait and see :P And I don't know how to say anything to your review without giving anything away LOL! So I won't! Haha! But I will say that some of your guesses are really good and that they will be revealed soon!

**ZuZu-Chan – **WHOA! NORWAY! HOLY SHIT! And it's cold there? NOW? I live in Canada and I'm pretty sure everyone thinks we live in igloos and all, but it's summer for us here! AND WE'RE MELTING! There's a heat wave, it's 40 degrees (Celsius) and tomorrow it's going to be 48! WE'RE GONNA DIE! I mean I've just been sweating all day long, even while sitting beside a goddamn fan. It's REALLY hot here, very humid, sticky, and as soon as you step outside, the heat just hits you in the face.

**Xxz0eyxx – **HAWAIIN PUNCH LMAO! WTF! LOL! OMG LOL! HAHA!

**Meh – **YOU LIVE IN INDIA? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? OMG WE'RE FUCKING NEIGHBOURS! Well my background is LOL! My parents are from Bangladesh, but I was born and raised in Canada. You don't seem like you've lived in India all your life though; are you just visiting India but you're really from somewhere else? Omg, tell me more! I'm really excited now lmao! Btw, I hope you're okay! That seems messed up :| And there IS a guy reading this story! I found out last chapter! I know, I was so shocked lmao. About Bryan and Dylan – remember that Bryan made a racist comment and that's when they had stopped talking. Although Tala noticed this, he doesn't know what happened b/c he was pretty drunk and passed out at the time! Brooklyn will be here soon ;) As for songs, I'm not sure if you'll like them (my taste in music has also changed a little), but try these: I've been listening to some mixes on YouTube by someone named ElectronicGalaxy (it's trance-y stuff, don't know if you'll like it!), "Top of the World" by The Cataracs ft. Dev, EVERYTHING from Britney Spears' new album, "Miss Me" by Drake, "Mirrors" by Natalia Kills, "Take Me Away" by Danny Fernandes. I'll come up with more for the next chapter!

**Crying Sorceress – **I can't picture a half Jamaican Kai! I just can't! LOL!

**Tany – **Omg, one time my brother (AND HIS FRIEND!) read my (VERY DIRTY) text messages to and from my boyfriend. I don't even know what to say! Btw, you mentioned a lot of languages so I'm curious, where are you from!

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan**

**Cursefreedom – **Brooklyn will be here shortly ;)

**Marisha91 – **YOU DID IT AGAIN! Omg, you blow me away with your reviews! I think you're just really, really, REALLY intelligent! Honestly! I'm really glad that you picked up on the fact that Lee slipped in that Mariah mentioned Dylan was her friend. And Dylan will probably now know that Tala and Mariah had a fight b/c Mariah kind of told Mathilda and then Mathilda called Dylan...so...lol. And thanks for being able to detect certain things between Kai and Dylan! The only reason I'm SLOWLY progressing their 'thing' is b/c I want to make it real!

**Gigglesworth – **CROTCH GRAB! YEAH! LOL! Why are we so perverted? LOL! Anyways...I read about what you eat...and I don't know what to say...ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS? :| No seriously, are you being serious? Or were you joking? About Canada, yeah it's a cold country – picture Russia! In fact, we prob get way more snow than them :P I'm talking about PILES of snow :| But now it's summer and we're MELTING! I'm not kidding! I just told another reviewer how hot it is here, 40 degrees Celsius right now, and tomorrow will be 48! There's a heat wave going on! I've been sweating like a nasty pig even while sitting beside the fan! As soon as you step outside, you FEEL the heat, like it HITS you in the face! Omg! As for culture and society, we're basically just like Americans (but nicer! :P). I've tried to incorporate that into the story (clubbing life, partying, etc). AND FINISH YOUR STORIES! I WANT TO READ!

**Bey-beyfan – **YOU are SUCH a loyal and faithful reviewer! I can't believe you are actually reviewing all the chapters! Thank you so much! It really made my day/week! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! :) xoxo!


	43. Chapter Forty Three

**CHAPTER FORTY THREE**

Lowering the book he was reading, Miguel watched Mathilda eye herself in the mirror situated on the dresser, "Going out?"

"Yeah," She replied with a smile and turned to him, "Do I look okay?"

"If 'okay' translates to ugly, then sure,"

"Miguel!"

"I'm kidding, you look good. Are you going out with Dylan?" As she nodded, he grinned, "Ah, so she accepted your apology,"

"Miguel, shut up,"

"Why? Because I'm right? I was right all along. I knew you liked her from the beginning, you just didn't want to admit it and you were afraid of having a friend like her," Mathilda rolled her eyes and the team captain continued, "It's because she includes you in everything, she's your age, and even though you guys are really different you two can probably relate to each other a lot more than the other girls in the BBA,"

"She's not a bad person,"

"If you can see something in her that the rest of us can't then all power to you, but in the end I was still right: you always liked Dylan. I think you're just able to have a lot of fun of with her,"

"Yeah," She'd agreed, "She's great, I love her," She paused and glanced over her shoulder, "As a friend,"

"Hey, if you liked her more than a friend, I'd be cool with that. In fact, that would be so hot. How about a ménage a trios?" He smirked.

"In your dreams, Miguel,"

"I think I'll be having some pretty interesting dreams tonight," The comment had earned him a pillow to the face, "I'm joking!" And a knock on their door had marked the end of their conversation as the blonde got up to get the door.

Mathilda looked over her shoulder, greeting Mariah as she made her way through the door, and then giving Miguel a lame look. One hand over his mouth, his two other fingers moving up and down as he mouthed a 'damn' behind the White Tiger, unsubtly checking out her butt. Mariah was hot as it was, but a fitted leopard printed dress sans straps with black pumps only seemed to up that hot factor by a mile. Or two. Her hair was left in its' natural waves, falling just past her breasts. Ah, her breasts, definitely something to be envious of: big, full, pushed up, and a teasing view of just a little cleavage.

"Look at you," Mathilda practically complimented.

"And look at you," Mariah winked, "We ready to go?"

"Yup!" Mathilda tossed the tube of lip gloss on the dresser and grabbed a wristlet before heading out of the suite with the other pinkette. They waved down a taxi and the younger blader provided the driver with the address before turning to the other girl, "We're going to meet them at the club. Are you excited about Spencer?"

"I'm a little nervous, to be honest,"

"Don't be! Spencer is -"

"Not about Spencer, about Tala...does he even know I'm coming?"

"Spencer and Tala are friends, right?"

"Right,"

"And if Spencer likes you and told everyone, he probably told Tala too, right?"

"I guess, yeah,"

"And if Tala already knows that Spencer likes you, he probably knows you're coming anyway,"

"True,"

"Exactly. So personally _I_ don't see any reason why he wouldn't know that you're coming,"

Mariah nodded at the conclusion and the rest of the ride was spent talking about other things, namely the weather and how different it was from their respective nations of Thailand and South Africa. Once at the club – skipping the line up thanks to being on the guest list – they found their table where Mariah was surprised to find Ming-Ming and some of the other cheerleaders.

"Oh my God! Mariah! Hi!" The aqua haired singer-blader-turned-cheerleader embraced the other girl, "It's so good to see you! I didn't know you'd be coming, you should have told me! We could have got ready together! Oh well, you look _hot_!"

"Thanks," The other blader appreciated, taking a seat. She conversed with everyone and halfway through her first drink, the others had finally arrived. She noticed Dylan first, only because she'd walked in like she was the shit attracting attention from the opposite sex in her one-shouldered wine coloured dress. She waved at a few, winked at some, blew a kiss at another, and gave the middle finger to an ugly mofo standing in the corner.

Then she noticed Tala. The look of shock was unmistakeable on his face...but only for a split second as he 'played it off' just like Mariah knew he would. She concluded that he, in fact, did _not_ know she was coming. And there was no Julia either.

"I thought you said Julia would be coming," Mariah whispered into Mathilda's ear.

Mathilda shrugged her shoulders appearing just as surprised, "Yeah, I don't know, that's really weird. Let's just say 'hi',"

They stood up, as did the other girls, and Dylan had done a quick and painless introduction providing names and such before coming to the star of the party, "And this is our nerd, Victoria," She patted a brunette on the back, "She's the one that got into NYU Engineering," A slew of 'congratulations' were heard from the Blitzkrieg Boys while they simultaneously examined the future engineer; she was beautiful, a 10 on 10 for sure, and Mr. Dickenson certainly had a good eye – maybe _too _good of an eye... – with his picks, but out of uniform, this Victoria didn't resemble a typical cheerleader. First and foremost, she wasn't blonde. On top of that she had glasses _and_ braces, her spectacles giving her that 'bookworm' appearance. She was, however, rather bubbly.

"Okay!" Ming-Ming piped in with drinks in both hands raised in the air, "Time to party!"

Everyone took their seats, and while Mathilda was on the right of Mariah, Dylan had taken a seat beside Mathilda, and beside her, Ian and Kai. On the left of Mariah, Spencer, then Bryan, and finally Tala, and it was obvious the redhead had tried to make the distance between him and the pinkette as massive as possible.

Mariah didn't mind; it was a move that had made things way less awkward between them and nobody detected that weren't on the greatest terms. She talked to Mathilda and Spencer, though mostly the former because Spencer hadn't made any kind of move like she thought he would and seemed to be busy talking to others at the table instead. It was when she felt Mathilda pushing into her the White Tiger looked her way only to find Dylan leaning in towards them, "Excuse me," For a second, Mariah raised a brow when she figured she was trying to talk to her. But she wasn't. The blonde moved further to get to Spencer, squishing Mariah and Mathilda in between in the meantime as she tapped him on the shoulder, "I have to tell you something,"

"What?" The blonde Blitzkrieg Boy turned around.

"So I was talking to Ming-Ming," Dylan whispered with a smirk, "And I think she likes you,"

Spencer grinned, "No way,"

"Just thought you'd like to know..." And as the cheer captain pulled back to her original seat, Mariah gave the blonde a dirty look.

"Don't worry about Ming-Ming," Mathilda was quick to say, a hand cupped around Mariah's ears, "Spencer's all yours',"

But it didn't seem that way as everyone began moving around shortly after. It was like playing Rubrics. With people. Bryan ditched the booth with one of the cheerleaders, and after hearing that Ming-Ming had a thing for him, Spencer called her over to sit next to him, her earlier seat being filled by whoever had been next to her to close the gap. Soon, the number of people began shrinking away as everyone 'paired up' with someone else and all that remained were the phoenix, Ian, the cheer captain, Mathilda, the White Tiger, Ming-Ming, Spencer, and the redhead respectively in the order of their position at the table.

"So is everyone enjoying themselves?" Dylan looked around the table and as a few of them nodded, she smiled, "Good," She waved one of the club employees over, perhaps ordering more drinks because he had come back with Grey Goose, Jose Cuervo, and the suicidal Bacardi 151, "Because we're going to have even more fun," Shot glasses were filled up, vodka for herself and Mathilda, tequila for Mariah and Ming-Ming, and the strongest of all for the guys.

"Hey!" Ming-Ming squealed, "Idea! Let's play Never Have I Ever! I'll go first: Never have I ever...gotten carried out of a bar!"

Some had taken a shot and then Dylan had her turn, "Never have I ever beybladed,"

Undoubtedly, everyone had taken a shot for this one; after all, they were all part of the BBA, and after taking his drink, Tala decided to join, "Never have I ever fucked in an elevator," And as Spencer took a shot – well, two, for 'both times' – the redhead gave him a pathetic look, "Yeah, you would,"

"Don't be jealous," He countered after taking his 151, "Never have I ever skinny dipped,"

Originally from the west coast, both Ivanovs' had inevitably taken a drink and being from the tropics of Thailand, Mariah had as well. Ming-Ming grinned as she looked over at the last one standing, Kai, "Your turn!"

"Hn,"

"Okay, so," Dylan took over for the bluenette, "Never have I ever 'hn-ed',"

Ming-Ming made a face, "What is 'hn'?"

Spencer rolled his eyes, "Kai is a retard,"

"Maybe he means head; never have I ever gotten head," Tala added, to which Spencer laughed, the two high-fiving each other.

"You make what you please out of it," The phoenix remarked.

"You heard him," The cheer captain grinned and proceeded to fill up Ian, Tala, and Spencer's glass with the Bacardi, Mariah and Ming-Ming's with the tequila again, and hogged the Grey Goose for Mathilda and herself, and the young pinkette went next.

"Never have I ever travelled to different countries,"

Being part of the BBA required bladers to travel around the world and thus everyone had taken their particular drinks except for Dylan. Mariah laughed as her turn came up, the amusement possibly being caused from the alcohol in her system, Kai had skipped his turn, automatically putting Dylan back in charge.

"Never have I ever used a gun,"

Having been educated in the Abbey, everyone had played around with a gun and so the boys had all taken a drink with Ian starting to show some signs of the effect of drinking given his size compared to the other guys. By the time Mathilda's turn came around, Ming-Ming was trashed, this evident when she suddenly jumped onto Spencer, the two of them going at it instantly.

"That's my girl," Dylan commented and as the game continued, Ming-Ming and Spencer hadn't bothered being part of it anymore because they were too busy with each other, eventually leaving the table to go dance together, the result of this causing no one left to use as a human barrier between Tala and Mariah, and after a few more rounds, Ian was also smashed.

Mathilda turned to Mariah, "I think Ian's had enough so I'm just going to get him away from here for a bit,"

Mariah nodded, "Make sure you come back!"

"Definitely," Mathilda reassured, pulling the short Blitzkrieg Boy to his feet and leaving the table.

Then there were four.

That was just the thing. Looking around the table, Kai realized that not only was more than half his team gone, but what had started out with quite a number of people at the booth had been reduced to just him, Dylan, Tala, and Mariah. And speaking of Mariah, where she was a little more than just tipsy, Dylan was sober. Vodka and tequila were strong and judging from the good amount of empty space in the Grey Goose bottle, Dylan _should_ have been drunk. She wasn't Superman. Or Superwoman, rather. She might have not been a lightweight, but there was no way she could withstand that much liquor. Something just wasn't adding up.

The blonde placed an elbow on the table and eyed the pinkette, "I love your dress; where'd you get it, hun?"

"This place," Mariah bit her bottom lip, "I forget," She stared at the ceiling in thought, "Limite, I think?"

"Super cute," She nodded before looking at the redhead, "Tala, don't you think she looks so cute in her dress?"

"...sure..."

"So why are you guys sitting so far from each other?" She enquired, "I mean I know Tala's hideous and terrifying looking, but he won't bite," She smirked, "Unless you want him to,"

"Stop," The redhead warned, "Stop making shit awkward,"

"Oh my God, Tala, I would never do that," She turned to Mariah, "Am I making things awkward for you? I mean if I am, I am like _so_ sorry. Do you want me to leave? Actually you know what, I'll just leave," She stretched out a leg to signify she was about to get up.

"It's okay," Mariah prevented.

"Aw," Dylan smiled, "You're so sweet," She reached for the shot glass, filling it up with tequila, "Drink up, sweetheart, we're here to have fun," She filled up another one with Bacardi, pushing it towards the redhead.

He'd declined, "I'm fine, thanks,"

"Can't handle your liquor? Shame,"

Mariah rolled her eyes, "Just like he can't handle anything else..."

"Oh?" Dylan raised a brow, "Can we have an elaboration?"

"No you can't, dip shit," Tala spat before glaring at the pinkette, "And that's not very nice,"

The White Tiger laughed, shrugging her shoulders slightly, "Too bad, so sad,"

He gave her a taunting look, "I dare you to say that to my face,"

"Okay," Mariah smirked, sliding next to him and leaning towards his face, "Too _bad_, so _sad_,"

And as she began moving back, the redhead chuckled and yanked her back, "Say sorry,"

"You wish,"

"Well when you apologize," Tala dangled an arm around the pink haired girl, her backing onto his shoulder, "I'll let you go,"

"Fine then,"

"Fine,"

Kai narrowed his eyes at Tala, though it had gone unnoticed as he and Mariah continued to 'argue', the alcohol clearly having loosened them up. Amethyst eyes landed on the blonde who'd resorted to dance to the music while sitting down. Really, she didn't seem the slightest bit intoxicated. Sceptical, he made a grab for the bottle of vodka and before she could protest, he drained some of the contents into his mouth straight from the bottle, and it was only when the liquid went down his throat that he was shocked.

The Grey Goose wasn't actual Grey Goose. It was water.

This was essentially the last 'piece of the puzzle' that he needed to understand what was happening. First it was elimination; being the voice of reason, it made sense to knock Bryan out of the ring first, a drunken and horny Ming-Ming was used to get rid of the easy target that was Spencer, and Ian being hammered was taken out of the picture by Mathilda.

Mathilda. The bluenette recalled that she also only drank the fake vodka which meant one thing: the hedgehog was an undercover participant in this conspiracy.

Tala wasn't drunk, but he was getting there. It was systematic. As a man, he naturally had a higher tolerance to alcohol than Mariah, and while Mariah was given something as strong as tequila, the redhead was fed something even stronger to get him in balance with her level.

Kai placed the bottle back on the table, ignoring the blonde as she stared at him. If she thought he was going to run his mouth about the situation, then she thought wrong; he really didn't much of a shit. Nonetheless, he didn't want any part of whatever shit was about to go down tonight, and so he did what any smart guy would have done: leave the table.

"I'm back!" Meanwhile, an overly happy Ming-Ming stumbled into her seat with Spencer, who immediately put his head down on the table, "Why aren't you guys drinking!" She demanded, "There are sober kids in India! Come on!"

So it began. After a few more shots and the ordering of vodka crans and Heinekens, courtesy of Dylan, Mariah and Tala had completely unwound. They were tanked and blabbered about stupid things and made jokes and even managed to make up inside jokes on the spot.

"Hey!" The pinkette patted him on the thigh multiple times, nearly hitting him on the crotch in disorientation, "Let's go over there," She pointed into the crowd, "Let's go!" The redhead grabbed his beer off the table and followed her, though not before pulling the pinkette to safety as she nearly fell from loss of balance.

"Well," Dylan eyed Ming-Ming from across the table, "Looks like it's just you and me,"

The aqua haired cheerleader put a hand over her mouth, "I think I'm gonna puke."

**x x x**

After leaving the table a while back, Kai had found a random and wasted piece of ass for himself to spend his time at the club with. She must have been a foreigner to Russia because he didn't understand a damn word she was saying. Oh well, the bitch was DTF and that's all that mattered.

He finished the lasts of his Corona and just as he brought the bottle down, he caught a glimpse of Dylan dancing not too far away. Eye contact confirmed that she knew he'd seen. In fact, it appeared that she purposely situated herself there just so he could watch.

And watch he did because Lord knows, it was one of the hottest things to have witnessed. She was not with a guy, but against a _wall_. The moves were provocative and it was like watching soft core porn.

Standing sideways and shaking her ass with a dress so tight and short gave him one of the best views of the shape of her physique. Then she'd turn around and face him, grabbing her own hair with her eyes closed and her head slightly tilted back with her legs slightly spread apart as her hips moved like she was doing the Hula Hoop, except there was no Hula hoop, the movement of her body reminding of an elastic band – _flexible_. She changed positions, facing the wall with her hands on them, glancing over her shoulder giving him that sex stare as she moved her behind, fast and slow depending on the beat of the music, and leaving him to fantasize and imagine about what else she could do.

It did not come off as cheap, slutty, or even that she was trying too hard. It actually came off as sensual because not only did she have the body, but she knew how to dance and just seemed to be really into it. All this was basically an indirect way of calling him over.

Too bad it wasn't working.

Lies!

The tingle in his pants said otherwise.

The golden hair, the blue eyes, the red dress...the cheer captain was _smokin'_.

Man, what the hell was he doing with the hoe that was currently feeling him up? Not only did she confuse the hell out of him with whatever language she was speaking, but she wasn't even that good looking or fit. He could do so much better.

Dylan was that much better.

But the thought of his friendship with Tala and the universal Man Law was getting in the way. Ah, screw Man Law, the Penis Law had just defeated that. Truth be told, the Penis Law defeated a lot of things; beware ladies.

Kai detached himself from the girl he was with, "I'll be back," She'd be stupid to believe that he'd be back because he wasn't. He shoved past the crowded dance floor, making his way towards his craving. However, in the seconds it had taken him to get to her, she'd already been snatched up by someone else. And it wasn't just anyone: that unmistakable shaggy ginger hair, those eyes, that _face_.

Brooklyn Kingston was in the house, ya'll.

* * *

**OH SHIIEETT!** That's all I can say! Bet that's all you can say too! And guess what...it ain't even done here!

**SPENCER and MARIAH. **LOL! NOT AT ALL WHAT YOU EXPECTED, WAS IT? :P HAHA!

**BROOKLYN. **OH LAWD! HE HAS ARRIVED!

**Bey-beyfan – **Don't feel guilty! You reviewed a LOT of chapters and trust me, that's huge for me! I love you! Your thoughts on Kai's background are amazing! I'm glad you brought in that Italian and South African means that you'd be a little tan, very intelligent! Where are you from btw?

**Peroxxide Priincess – **Bet your question about Mariah and Spencer was answered in this chapter :P

**Lazy Chick**

**PhoenixxLament – **Tala probably did lose his mind! What man turns down sex? Something's wrong with him! :P And nope, Dylan was not the one getting into NYU, that was another girl from the cheer squad! Btw, your review freaked the hell out of me when you mentioned Brooklyn b/c lol...this chapter LOL! And angry sex? LOL! I was rofl-ing for hours lmao. About hockey, I have to be a loyal Torontonian and side with the Leafs! However, I was born in Montreal so I love them too, then I also lived in Vancouver so...hahaha! I live in Toronto now, btw! And YES, we had a heat wave here! We were DYING!

**Marisha91 – **You picked apart Tala so well! Like I said, the last chapter had some character development and yes, it was for Tala. And nope! Dylan was not the one to get into NYU, that was someone else! Lol! I'm really looking forward to what you have to say about this chapter and any future predictions! Btw, what do you think about Brooklyn's arrival? :P

**Xxz0eyxx – **HAHA! No, Tala's not gay! Lol. And yeah, he probably did think what Julia was saying was kinda dumb! Kai being French is also a good guess! I died laughing when you said blow job lmao. And it's okay if you call me dumb lol b/c I am! TRUST ME! LOL! NO LIE! I'm honestly really embarrassed by what I had THOUGHT Russia was like! I pictured Germany to be like in ruins or something from the World War but apparently it's not! And I think guys get grossed out about periods b/c the vagina is like their fave part! They don't wanna picture it bleed! LOL! I hope no one read that...

**Zeratheliger – **YOU WERE IN MOSCOW? TELL ME EVERYTHING! IT WILL HELP ME OUT WITH THIS STORY! And you are finally going back to America?

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **I am so sorry! I don't always reply to all reviews, but I do remember I wanted to reply to yours' and I didn't. I was just really tired that day and didn't even edit the last chapter! Sorry about that! And I like the way you analyzed Tala! Very well done! As I said in the last chapter, there was character development.

**Paperplanesxx – **Do you live by yourself? If so, how is it? And what kind of place do you work for? Anyways, Dylan was not the one that got into NYU haha, a lot of people thought that! And yes, Facebook IS the death of everyone! I mean it's dying down, but I remember ALL sorts of problems/drama I was thrown into b/c of FB! Your guesses on Kai's background are REALLY well thought out! I'm impressed!

**Anei – **I like how you went back and analyzed all the characters! Trust me, it will def help you! Character development is something that will happen in most chapters! Watch out for them.

**Kickstartmyhart – **Too bad Julia wasn't even in the room :P

**Meh – **Wow, honestly just wow. I can't believe you lived in India all your life. I had a hard time believing it b/c your English is just SO spot on, not just formal English, but like the slang and everything! I know a lot of people who have immigrated to Canada from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc and their English is not half as good as yours'. It also impresses me that you've been able to keep up with the drama in this story b/c yes, it IS pretty 'American-ized'. I'm honestly just really impressed by you. I also had no idea my story could half way across the world! Haha about the cold weather, TRUST ME if you came here, you would hate it! Snow up to your neck, you have to wear like 5 hoodies, double your socks and mittens, and if it's a blizzard you get hit in the face and eyes with snow! It's horrible!

**Crying Sorceress – **LOL! LOLLLL! I WAS ON THE FLOOR WITH YOUR SEAN PAUL COMMENT! LOLLL! IM DYING! HAHA! Man, I would love a half baby, preferably a blonde baby...but being brown, even if I marry a white guy, I don't think that will happen :( LOL!


	44. Chapter Forty Four

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

Kai was always known to be fashionably late for certain circumstances. This was one of them. Just as there were many things to watch out for in Girl World, cockblocking was the one thing to beware of in Guy World. If this involved Hilary he may have done something about it, but since it didn't the bluenette decided the pursuit was not worth it. He grimaced at Brooklyn before turning around and walking back into the crowd to reclaim the previous girl he was with.

Everyone needed a fallback plan.

He was about halfway within the mass of people when he felt himself being yanked by the back of his shirt. He raised a brow as he glanced over his shoulder to find Dylan, but an explanation was not given. Instead, she handed him a beer in one hand and practically forced his other hand on her body. He pulled back slightly, "What are you doing?"

"Shut up," She commanded, proceeding to grind her ass right up on his package and he coughed a few times as the beer went down the wrong way at her actions. The blonde smirked, leaning backwards slightly to loosely put her arms around his neck, "Did you like that?"

"Hn,"

It was what she was doing paired with the perverted facial expressions she was making that made it very tantalizing. And pleasurable. He'd popped a boner when she finally turned to face him with one of his legs in between hers' as she continued to move around like _that_, and although he tried to hide it, he knew she felt it against her thigh when she grinned. Instead of leaving it alone, she gave it attention by making a grab for it and somewhat tracing the shape of it right over his jeans.

"Stop,"

She continued the harassment, "Why?"

"Because," Because it felt good.

"This is practice. I'm just showing you what to expect from Hilary, that's all,"

"She will never do something of this nature,"

"Whatevs," She tugged on his shirt to bring him close. He didn't get a say in it. He never did. But he wasn't complaining. After being teased to such an extent, kissing was a nice release. The hand that was clutching the neck of the beer bottle was hanging off her shoulder and the other placed right above her bum, pulling her so ridiculously close that he could feel every bodily detail on her over their clothes. And to have Brooklyn watch them from across the room wondering why the blonde picked the half-Russian over him was the cherry on top. Bitch.

**x x x**

Mathilda rolled her eyes. A drunk Ian was truly different from a Blitzkrieg Boy Ian. She managed to stop him from kissing her at least five times already but he still managed to pinch her butt at some point. Taking pointers from the best in the game, she got him as many drinks as it would take to put him out and it got to the point where he couldn't even stand up without having to hold on to her, but still, he just wasn't going down that easy. Giving up, Mathilda practically hauled him around like a dog on a leash. He fell a few times, but meh. Nobody ever died from face-planting.

"Hey, there you are!"

Mathilda turned to find the familiar face of one of the cheerleaders, the nerd to be precise, "Hi,"

"I'm heading home right now so just thought I'd say bye," She held onto a partially passed out Ming-Ming, "Did you want a ride? My boyfriend's picking us up,"

"Thanks, but I'm actually trying to find everyone else,"

"I actually just saw one of your guys," The brunette pointed out the captain of the Blitzkrieg Boys by a corner. With Mariah. He had her up against the wall, mid lip lock and his hand somewhat up her dress, _but_ it wasn't as raunchy an ambience as one would assume from two intoxicated members of the opposite sex.

Nonetheless, the sight was enough to get a reaction out of Mathilda as she wrinkled her nose, "Okay..."

"Yeah," The cheer leader scratched her head in confusion, "I thought he was seeing that Julia girl?"

"Uh..."

"Hmm, guess he really does live up to his touch and go reputation. Well anyways, I'm gonna get going then, let Dylan know, k? Oh, and found you another one," The prospective NYU student pointed again, "There's Bryan," As she left, Mathilda looked over her shoulder to find the lilac haired blader.

"It's getting late," He stated while at the same time saving her the burden of having to take care of Ian by taking over, "The club's closing down in ten minutes, we should get going,"

"Okay," The pinkette nodded.

"Kai texted me; he's already waiting outside with Dylan and Spencer. I messaged Tala a few times, he hasn't replied," Obviously not, the guy was busy, "Have you seen him?" She didn't need to say anything for Bryan to find them by the sidelines eventually, "For fuck's sake," Running a hand through his hair, he sighed and strolled towards them while Mathilda followed, "Can't your ass ever stay out of trouble, Tala?" He tried to separate them, but the two immediately protested, "Fine," The lilac haired blader wasn't even going to bother, "But we're going home, come on," He ushered the group out of the club. They reunited in the parking lot, where Kai was peering into the contents under the hood of his car, Dylan standing close by and looking also while a sleeping Spencer was already in the car. Closing the hood, the bluenette raised a brow at the sight of his team captain and the White Tiger's proximity.

They were both wobbling, gravity and alcohol threatening to make them fall over any second, but they seemed to find some way to make it work. Holding his jacket over her head like a makeshift Batman cape, Mariah had her face buried into his chest, the redhead in turn holding onto her with one hand on her head and other on the small of her back. She mumbled something that Kai couldn't understand, but judging by Tala's slurred 'I'm takin' you home', he could only guess.

"You want to take her home?" Bryan had just finished helping Ian get into the car, "Are you crazy? She can't come with us, Lee'll snip your balls,"

"She's comin' with me,"

"Look, you're not thinking right now. If you bring her home a lot of shit's going to go down; these are your words, not mine. Remember? You didn't even want to come out tonight because you said you didn't want to deal with anything stupid after and now look at you,"

Cursing Bryan out, the redhead turned to Kai, "Just fucking take us home, she's tired,"

"That can be accomplished as soon as you hand over your keys,"

"Why?"

"Because," The younger Californian piped in, "I'm driving, faggot,"

"Fuck you, asshole, I can drive,"

"Yeah, into a tree,"

Mathilda snorted, joining alongside the blonde and making it an easy two against one, "Or off a cliff,"

Losing patience with the imbecile, Kai forcefully – but carefully because of Mariah – shoved the redhead and his current female counterpart into the back of the Supra and fetched the keys out of his pockets, tossing them over to the designated driver. The drive home finally began with Spencer, Ian, and Bryan in Kai's car, and Tala, Mariah, Mathilda, and Dylan in the Toyota, the former two in the back, the latter two in the front, the ride supplemented by a 3OH!3 song in the background.

Her feet up on the dashboard, Mathilda subtly glanced over at Dylan when things finally settled down, "So what's up with you and that Mallory girl?" As the blonde shrugged, she continued, "Isn't she your best friend or something? I remember you telling me that,"

"...yeah,"

"Are you guys talking yet?"

"We'll talk soon when she apologizes," A pause, and then, "I mean she sort of did apologize already, but not really,"

"You mean she didn't really mean it?"

"Sort of. But that's okay; I know she'll come around. She has to. I'm her best friend, she loves me," As the BMW up ahead stopped at the traffic lights, she also slowed down, eventually coming to a stop right behind, "I just wish she told me before she did anything with him, I wouldn't have said no. Like I know I live a million miles away from home and whoever the hell my prom date was supposed to be doesn't really matter anymore, but just out of respect she could have called me and been like 'hey I'm about to fuck him, you cool with that?'. And even after everything happened I had to find out from _other_ people, like she didn't tell me herself, I had to call her and ask her myself,"

As Dylan trailed off with an eye roll, Mathilda analyzed the situation. She didn't seem mad that Mallory slept with Kyrone or even that anything had happened between the two. It was something else, something secondary.

"Guys will always be guys," As Kai took a right, the blonde flicked on her signals and took the same turn, their home visible in the horizon, "They see a girl and they wanna take off her clothes and do her, like that's just how they are and I can't hold that against a guy for being a guy, but she's my best friend," The Toyota came to a halt as it pulled into the driveway, the key being taken out of the ignition, "And best friends don't that,"

With one foot already out of the car, the beach babe still looked over her shoulder resulting in the silent eye contact that was made between the friends. What she was trying to say, the pinkette couldn't entirely decipher, but assumed it was something along the lines of 'don't ever screw me over'. If that was the case, Dylan need not worry. Mathilda had no intentions of 'screwing' her over. If anything, that should have been Mathilda's worry; she was the one taking the risk to be friends with someone that everyone else was staying far away from.

The hedgehog finally snapped out of it as the blonde eventually exited the car. Undoing her seatbelt she got out of the car as well, opening the door for Tala in the process who stumbled out with Mariah in tow. Bryan held the front door open for them, rolling his eyes as Mariah patted him on the back shouting a relatively loud 'thank you, sir' as she entered their home. Going in herself, Mathilda spotted Dylan stepping out of the kitchen after having fetched herself a glass of water. She followed as the blonde motioned her over to the stairs, the two heading to her room.

"You can change into my clothes if you want since you're sleeping over," The blonde nodded over to the closet, though most of her clothes were piled up on a chair, some of it on the floor by her bed, "Pick whatever you want,"

"And what about Mariah? Is she _really_ going to sleep here? I don't think Tala bringing her home was supposed to happen..."

She watched as the cheer captain took a few minutes to scan the room before making a decision, "She can sleep on my bed and we can go downstairs,"

"Fuck that," Tala appeared by the doorway, one hand waving off the matter, "My bed's huge, there's room for two," He turned to Mariah with a grin, "Or three or four or more,"

"Yeah, that's not happening," Dylan made her way over to the two, a smile plastered on her lips, "You see, Tala, although we come from the same mom and dad, I ended up with their good looks and you ended up with...well, you're just unattractive and daunting looking. Unfortunately, that all changes when a girl has had a few drinks because it starts to play tricks on her, making even the worst of the worst such as yourself appear half decent, otherwise do you _really_ think you can actually get some from her? I don't think so. She'll be sleeping on my bed and you'll be sleeping on yours' _or_ you can go outside and freeze yourself to death and save all women around the world the trouble of ever having to see your face,"

The redhead disregarded her entirely and moved past her, but not before stopping to poke the blonde in the chest and as she reflexively looked down, he flicked her under the chin, "Dumbass," And as Mariah crawled onto his bed sprawled flat on her face, he slipped under the covers also, the Thai automatically snuggling into him, "Now get the fuck out, we try'na sleep," With that, the lamp on his side table was switched off.

Giving the duo a pathetic look and shaking her head, Dylan strolled out of the room only to have a horrified Mathilda follow down the hallway, "Aren't you gonna stop them? They can't sleep together! I'm going to get into a lot of trouble! _I_ brought Mariah, she's _my_ responsibility!"

"He's not going to do anything to her, trust me. Besides, she's Beauty and he's the Beast and nobody wants to fuck a beast, Mattie," She paused, "Unless we're metaphorically speaking. Anyways, I'm going to check on Kai," She jabbed a thumb behind her towards his door, "Go make popcorn, we'll watch a movie downstairs," Turning the knob, she poked her head into his room. He'd gone to sleep, not bothering to change out of his clothes and with his shoes still on, his feet dangled off the mattress. While he lay on his front with his face buried into his pillow, she climbed onto his back and leaned over to whisper into his ear, "Are you asleep?"

"Hn," Came his nearly inaudible reply before he felt her slide off him, her hands grabbing at his shoes and pulling them off. When he felt a tug at his jeans, he lifted his head and looked over his shoulder, his expression displaying undoubtable annoyance.

"Relax, sweetheart, I'm not going to rape you," She reassured, eventually stripping him of his pants and leaving him in his briefs, "At least not tonight," Well then, may the Lord have mercy for the next time. He turned to his side as she fixed his pillow and evened out his covers, "Goodnight, Superman." And with a light smack on his butt, she left his room, restoring peace and silence for the phoenix.

**x x x**

As a sick feeling washed over her, Mariah groaned, but didn't bother opening her eyes. In fact, she hadn't even moved. She almost couldn't. It was one of those days. Actually, it was one of those hangovers. The feeling of dehydration was unbearable, "Lee..." She mumbled before quickly coming to a halt, remembering the feud, "Ray..." She doubted he'd heard her though, "Get me water..."

She lay lifeless for another minute or two before coming to an odd realization: there was an arm and a leg draped over her. She blinked a few times, her eyes narrowing once she took in the eerie familiarity of the room she was in. The window, the pale blue blinds, the beige carpeting, the bedding. Other than the smell of alcohol and cigarettes from last night, there were traces of the subtle smell of cologne that lingered on her skin and clothes. And she recognized it. Utterly horrified, Mariah pushed the limbs off of her and moved away, finding herself clothed in last night's dress and jewellery in the process.

She _knew_ whose room this was and who was next to her, but looking to her left for added confirmation only made her freak out. As she screamed out an 'oh my God', Tala lifted his head off the pillow beside her, staring at her in confusion for a second before his eyes widened.

"Oh, shit," He rolled away in the opposite direction in reflex, falling off the other end of the bed with a thud, "What the fuck..."

Whether the redhead was okay or not hadn't crossed her mind. Instead, she felt around her southern regions, "Please have underwear on, please have underwear on!" She pleaded in a whisper and upon coming in contact with the desired fabric underneath her dress...hallelujah! She jumped off the bed immediately, collecting her wristlet, her heels, and whatever else of her belongings she could find before making a run for it. Scurrying downstairs, she prayed she wouldn't bump into the other Blitzkrieg Boys, but they went unanswered as she spotted Kai on the couch watching TV and she could hear Bryan's voice in the kitchen along with Mathilda's.

That's right. She'd gone out with Mathilda last night and...eff that! Now was not the time to put two and two together, it was time to get the hell out of here! The back door was through the kitchen and the thought of walking towards the front door mortified her – Kai would see for sure and she could only imagine the feeling of embarrassment and nervousness that she would feel. She'd come off as a complete slut, sleeping around with Julia's man. They hadn't had sex, that much was clear – after all, she had her panties on and wasn't even sore... – but still, it was the _concept_, not what actually did happen or did not happen. And then of course there would be assumptions made by everybody.

"Hi _friend_,"

Mariah whirled around, the nauseating feeling worsening at the sight of Dylan standing behind her with her arms crossed and that signature evil smirk on her face. It had also caught the attention of Kai; he'd looked over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the documentary about life on Mars and his bowl of Cheerios.

"Mariah?"

And then there was Tala, now at the top of the stairs ready to come down. Him being the last person she wanted to face, the White Tiger ran for the front door, yanking it open and heading right out in bare feet. Let the walk of shame begin. She knew she looked nothing less than a mad woman with last night's make up and her hair all over the place and only when she made it a few meters away from their home did she stop to put her shoes on and call for the taxi.

"Mariah!" This time it was Mathilda, "What are you doing?" She'd jogged out of the house and approached the older girl, "Where are you going?"

"What the hell is going on!"

"What?"

"I woke up beside _Tala_! What the fuck! Oh my God..." Her voice cracked. What had she done? A _huge_ irreversible mistake, that's what. Lee and her were fighting because of Tala, Tala and her were fighting because of Lee, now her friendship with Julia was threatened, and the Blitzkrieg Boys probably thought she was a whore, and Dylan would probably tell everyone and her reputation would be ruined and...She felt tears prickle up and Mathilda must have noticed.

"Don't cry Mariah, please," She embraced the other pinkette.

Mariah nodded, "I just really need to get out of here right now..."

"Yeah, of course, we'll leave right now," She walked Mariah to a bus shelter, "Wait here, I'm just going to get my things, alright?" Mathilda had come back in the nick of time just as the taxi drove up to pick them up, "Are you okay?" The hedgehog asked in a low voice.

"I don't know..."

"I think Tala wanted to talk to you or maybe drop you off or something. I told him you probably don't want to see him right now," No duh. There was silence before Mathilda's gaze shifted to the other pinkette, "I won't tell Julia about anything..."

Mariah didn't bother with a comment to the final statement. Instead, she made a call; the White Tigers – especially Lee – must've been worried sick of her whereabouts. She'd always call her brother to let him know where she was and what she was up to, but since they weren't talking, she could have at least called the others. Hopefully they hadn't called the cops, "Ray?" The line connected and she waited as he asked her if she was okay before getting to her point, "I'm good and I'm so sorry I didn't call any of you to let you know what was going on with me, I...forgot,"

"It's cool," Ray chuckled, "Your friend already called Lee to let him know,"

"...what?"

"Yeah, he knows you stayed the night with her. Apparently you were too drunk to call and passed out so she called Lee and told him for you,"

Mildly puzzled, Mariah proceeded with a further enquiry, "Who is 'she'?"

"Dylan."

* * *

** IT'S BRITNEY BITCH! **YEAH! I'm going to her concert tomorrow! OMG SO EFFING EXCITED! Can't wait! I also went to Drake's concert on July 31st...INCREDIBLE! There were so many surprise guests! Lil Wayne popped out nowhere near the end for "Miss Me"!

**QUESTIONS!** I hope no one gets annoyed by this! I just want to see if everyone understands the story/if I'm providing information efficiently! Please take the time to answer these questions in your reviews! And if you want me putting up questions again, let me know!

_How many years apart are Alden Hiwatari and Kai?_

_What is the ONE similarity that everyone notices about Dylan and Tala? _

_What is Tala's 'type' of woman?_

_What just happened between Dylan and Mariah and Lee?  
_

_What are some reasons why Mathilda is getting along with Dylan better than she is with the other BBA girls?_

_Why does Julia – indirectly/secretly – have something against Mariah?_

_What did you learn about the following characters in this chapter: Dylan, Mathilda, Tala, Mariah, and Kai. _

**BTW! FEAR NOT! BROOKLYN'S HERE! ...yes that means he'll show up more :P**

**THANK YOU TO...**

**Eloquent dreams**

**PhoenixxLament – **Toronto is...where do I begin lol. Everyone smokes weed here! Lol. We're basically like New York: everything is fast paced, people always have Starbucks in their hands, and I've HEARD that we're rude though I don't really agree! We're pretty nice people here! And people in Toronto LOVE the night life! We're also very multicultural here: white, Indians, blacks, Asians, Euros, Guyanese people, Trinis, you name it, we got 'em! Even got a few of you Americans over here :P Oh, and yes, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KAI! My birthday's coming up too...September 12! Yay! LOL!

**Kickstartmyhart**

**smiffyizdabest**

**lazy chick**

**zeratheliger**

**meh – **Curious, what part of India are you from? I'm going to guess Delhi, but if I'm wrong, tell me! And yup, definitely beware of yellow snow at ALL times...or any coloured snow for that matter :| true story. AND DON'T KEEP YOUR REVIEWS SHORT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I ENJOY READING LONG ONES! To a sickening level, really! Btw, penis law exists! It's true!

**Xxz0eyxx – **The part where you say he rips off his shirt like the hulk cracked me up LOL!

**Bey-beyfan – **Where do you work? Is it like a part time job? I work too :( And is Boringtown an actual place? :| And yes, I would love to hear about the farm! I live in the city so I'm the complete opposite and I have no idea about farms! AT ALL! I once worked with a girl though and she told me she grew up on the farm too and I have to say, I was REALLY impressed by her. She was 2 years younger than me, but her maturity surpassed mine. She wa also REALLY independent and just knew a lot about a lot! About Canada, yes I've been to Niagra Falls! I live 2 hours away from there (I live in Toronto and Niagra Falls is located in a city called St. Katherine's). It actually isn't THAT big of a deal, but I probably say that b/c I'm from here. It's probably what the Chinese say about the Great Wall, "Oh, it's not a big deal!" lol. Do we speak French? No, not really actually, it's sad! I mean yeah we understand more than the average person and although some people ARE fluent in French, not many speak it here! I was born in the French province so I should know it, but I don't! But I'm learning! I think it's sort of like Americans and Spanish – you guys probably know a little bit here and there. As for accents, I don't really notice an accent between Americans and Canadians UNLESS it's someone from maybe Texas or something. I didn't know Canadians had an accent either, but apparently we do! Haha! My 'sorry' definitely has a Canadian accent; it's pronounced with more of an 'O' sound lol. And you will probably pronounce Toronto and TO-RON-TO but we say T'rono. Not ALL Canadians have a Canadian accent though! And ask me ANYTHING you want! I love questions!

**Z-Aquarius-Kai**

**Crying Sorceress – **Dylan probably paid their server to switch it with water! I'm sure he was in on it too! And I think I'm about to date an Italian (he SORT of looks like Vinny from Jersey Shore...he does NOT, however, have Jersey Shore characters, lol I don't like that show)! Maybe my babies (if it ever gets to that point!) will have green eyes! LOL!

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **LOL I wonder what will happen with: Tala/Julia, Tala and Lee, Tala/Mariah...look at this guy! He should be on Jersey Shore.

**Pinkcupcakeprincess – **It's okay if you don't have an account! You're always welcome to leave a review! Anyways, I'm glad about the things you pointed out in your review. I know it seems very Kai/Dylan-ish BUT...fear not! Kai has liked Hilary for about 2 years (as mentioned in chapter 10) so I doubt he'd just randomly forget about her! But remember, he IS a free man and without any commitments, he can basically fuck around! Example: he had a 'piece of ass' in the last chapter. And of course the Bladebreakers will make an appearance! Moving on, your analysis on the story was INCREDIBLE! I like how you pointed things out between Dylan and Tala and then you analyzed Kai's character. In fact, everything that you've mentioned in your review was really well thought out and YES, some of them are right, but I won't say which ones :P You'll have to wait and read the story for that! Haha. As for Kai's other half, REALLY good guesses! Keep your reviews coming! Tell me what you think about Tala, Dylan, Mathilda, Mariah, and Kai in this chapter!

**Paperplanesxx – **YOU HAVE A FIANCE? TELL ME MORE! NOW! You're only 19! Well, maybe I shouldn't use 'only', I didn't mean that offensively. You are RELATIVELY young, though, I would say. I'm glad though, I wish I could find someone and just settle down and not have to deal with BS like no commitment and blah, blah, blah. To be honest, I actually probably wouldn't mind getting engaged now either! It would be kind of nice. And I can imagine how much growing up you'd have to do living on your own! I lived on my own for 2 years for university but I'd coming running back home in the middle of the week – I just couldn't do it! Have I ever thought about going into writing? Not really...well, maybe a little, but I feel like it's a luck type of thing, as in you either make it big or you don't. I'm not saying I want fame or anything like that, I'm saying that I want a stable career. I'm in accounting now and I actually enjoy it! I look forward to a job in that field.

**Spoiledfashionista – **LOL! I can't believe you compared my story to weed...and that it's better haha! Anyways, I love how you picked apart the details of the story! It was really nicely done! Seems like you have some pent up anger towards Tala as well LOL! Tell me what you think of this chapter!


	45. Chapter Forty Five

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

As Mariah ran out of the house with Mathilda following, Bryan poked his head out of the kitchen, Ian and Spencer had come out of their rooms, and Tala was half way down the stairs, all their eyes suspiciously on Dylan. The scene resembled nothing short of a suspect being surrounded by cops that were ready to arrest their bitch ass. Looking around, the blonde finally raised both her arms slightly, essentially pleading not guilty, "I didn't do nothing,"

"Shut up, twit!" The redhead pushed past her and was ready to step out of the house also, but stopped as Mathilda re-entered.

"If you're planning to go after her, that's probably not a good idea," The 16 year old advised, "I don't think she wants to see you right now. Just give her some time and space,"

"She can have all the time and space she wants, I just need to talk to her,"

"This isn't just about _you_. She's just really shocked at what happened -"

"Nothing happened!"

"Oh my Lord, calm down. Look, if you wanna go and say something to her, by all means," Mathilda stepped aside from the door in indication, "But I can tell you right now that it won't go well," She shrugged, "Or you can give her some space and get back to her when she's not completely hung over and a mess, it's up to you,"

The fact that someone like Mathilda – someone timid, someone relatively younger, and someone the Blitzkrieg Boys had _never_ had any kind of association with before – was telling someone like Tala what to do was odd, "Alright," But it was even odder when he complied, "Fine," Then he looked around the living room at everyone, punching a fist into his other palm, "What ever happened last night stays between all of us and if anyone runs their mouth about anything, they'll have to deal with me,"

Although Bryan snorted as he walked back into the kitchen – after all, he'd already warned the redhead about what he was doing last night so now this was just funny to him – Ian, Spencer, and Kai silently agreed. Tala knew they would _never_ say a word to anyone, that's just how men were. Guys were able to keep their mouth shut; they would never rat out their boys. Women, on the other hand, had a tendency to blurt things out...and there were two women present right now. He didn't know Mathilda that well and while he didn't _completely _trust her, he trusted her enough to know that she'd be able to keep it to herself.

But Dylan was a different story. If he was falling off a cliff, she'd let him go. If someone aimed a gun at her, she'd push him in front of her. If she was a Satanist, she would sacrifice Tala to the devil. She would _never_ have his back.

The tension was cut when Mathilda smiled as if to reassure him and as she picked up her belongings, she looked over at the cheer captain, "I'm gonna get going for now,"

"But we just made pancakes,"

"I know, I'm so sorry,"

"Whatevs, slut," As Dylan rolled her eyes, Mathilda smirked.

"Be ready by 6 tonight, I'm taking you out for dinner and a movie," And after blowing the blonde a kiss, she was out the door.

**x x x**

"I need your help,"

Tyson stopped fiddling with Dragoon as Hilary stood by his doorway, "Yeah?" Then his gaze went back to his beyblade, "With what?"

"Well," The brunette strolled in and took a seat on the edge of his mattress, "You probably already know that Julia and Tala are kind of seeing each other,"

Tyson chuckled with an eye roll, "Big surprise. That guy sees someone new every other week,"

"Julia thinks he's really into her,"

"Okay and what does this have to do with me?"

"So Julia and Tala like each other, but _apparently_ Kai doesn't really like Julia,"

"Kai doesn't like anybody or anything," Tyson reasoned, "Except goats,"

"What the hell?"

"Inside joke,"

"Okay..." Hilary knew better than to pry; _never_ question the escapades of the Bladebreakers for you will most likely end up scarred for life, "Anyways, Tala and Kai are really good friends so obviously Julia feels a little uncomfortable. She needs to get on Kai's good side,"

"Tell her I said good luck,"

"Tyson!"

"Fine," He tinkered some more with his beyblade before giving up and providing Hilary with his full attention, "Here's an idea: you and Julia are friends and Kai and Tala are friends. Go out,"

"Wouldn't that be like a double date? It would be awkward for me and Kai,"

"Nah," He waved off, "Just do it, trust me,"

"Why don't you come too?"

"Why would I come? I don't even know Julia that well and me showing up would give Tala a chance to kick my ass for fooling around with Dylan,"

"Oh," Hilary drew imaginary circles on the bed sheets, "So...do you actually like Dylan?"

"Yup," He nodded before getting back on topic, "So yeah, do it up: you and Kai, Julia and Tala,"

"Don't say it like that, it sounds weird," The world champ only laughed in response while Hilary sighed, "But I guess it's not a bad idea."

**x x x**

As the door to their suite opened, Ray raised a brow at Mariah, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Don't ask," She tried to dismiss quickly as she strolled towards her room.

The ex-Bladebreaker laughed, "You look like ass," His reply was the sound of her door slamming shut. He steeped two cups of tea and as he would have guessed, after changing into other clothes and freshening up in the washroom, Mariah had joined him by the kitchen counter. He handed her over the extra cup of tea, "Rough night?"

She shrugged her shoulders as she took a tiny sip of the hot liquid, "Where is everyone?"

"Lee went to train, Kevin and Gary went to do groceries. So," He raised a brow, "How was Dylan's?"

"Pretty good,"

There was silence for a few seconds, and then, "You really gonna lie to me too?"

Mariah eyed the raven haired blader as she took another sip of her tea, "What do you mean?"

"Come on, man, you and Dylan aren't friends. Lee and the rest of the world can fall for it, but I don't and I won't,"

"Why is it so hard to believe she's my friend?"

"Because she's not," Ray rolled his eyes, "But I know you _did_ stay the night at their place," Suddenly he smirked, "You and Tala..."

It was after a while that Mariah understood the context of his question, "No!" Her exclamation was abrupt, almost making him flinch, "Oh my God, _no_!" Pushing her cup of tea away, she buried her face into her hands, "Is that what you think of me? I knew everyone would think like that!"

"Chill,"

"No! You really think I had sex with him? Seriously Ray?"

"How the hell would I know?"

"Because I'm telling you!"

"It's really not that big of a deal if you and him fooled around,"

"We didn't!"

"Okay, you didn't, fine,"

"Seriously!"

"Okay!"

A second moment of silence took over, Ray not bothering to say anything more. Luckily, he didn't need to because Mariah had, "I would never do that to Julia, Ray, she's my friend,"

"Alright," Ray set his cup aside, "Why don't you start by telling me what _actually_ happened last night?"

"Well, nothing really happened. I had a few drinks and..." She sighed, "You know..."

Recalling one of his most, uh, _adventurous_ outings where drinks – and other substances... – were involved, he nodded, "Yeah, I definitely know," Too bad he was to never speak of that night; Kai, Tyson, Max, and _even_ Kenny would beat his ass, "So what did you do? Other than get that huge hickie," He pointed towards her neck and her eyes widened as she grabbed the toaster, lifting it up to see the reflection in it.

"Oh my God!" She rubbed at it with a finger, only for her horrification to increase, "It's real!"

"Well no shit, I mean what the heck would a fake hickie be?"

"Do you know what this means!"

"That Tala bit you?"

"All the Blitzkrieg Boys must've seen this! And everyone else when I walked into the hotel,"

"Just wear a scarf or something," He suggested, "And don't tie your hair up. Or can't you hide it with make up?" As Mariah's shoulders slumped, Ray directed her to take a seat at the kitchen table, "How far did you go with him last night?"

"Nothing, we kinda just made out I guess,"

"_Nothing_ else?"

"No,"

"Then stop beating yourself up. You shoved your tongue down a guy's throat that you were previously seeing, who cares?"

"Do you really have to say it like that?"

"Well it's what you did,"

"Ray!"

"Just trying to lighten up the mood,"

"_Clearly_ it's not working," She looked down, her elbows on the table and her fingers raked into her hair, "I just don't get how it can go from Tala telling me he never wants to talk to me again to _this_, like what the hell is that?"

"Alright, tell me what you're worried about,"

"Obviously Julia. I can't imagine what will happen if she finds out, I feel horrible,"

"Are you planning to tell her?"

"No!"

"I can tell you for a fact that as a guy Tala won't say shit to her and if he doesn't say anything and if you aren't planning to either, then there's no way for her to know. I know you feel bad, but shit happens and it's not even like you guys went that far. Just forget about it, it's in the past,"

"Dylan knows,"

"Would she say anything?"

"Do you _know_ Dylan? She's a reincarnation of Hitler,"

"Why don't you just talk to her then?"

"Are you kidding me? I mean I'm pretty sure this whole thing was her doing. She hates Tala, she hates me, and she hates Julia so she probably thought 'hey, let's drop a nuclear bomb between the three of them and see what happens',"

Ray tapped his fingers on the table before reaching a solution, "Deny it,"

"What?"

"Deny the whole thing. If Julia and Dylan are beefing then Julia would never believe a word she says. She might come to you and ask you about it just to make sure, but you're her friend not Dylan so it will be your word over hers',"

"Yeah?"

"Definitely."

**x x x**

After getting dropped off in downtown Moscow by a taxi, Mathilda and Dylan walked around until finding a satisfying place to have dinner. It was a restaurant with a significantly North American influence, something Mathilda decided would be safe place for the cheer captain. They were seated at a booth with menus in English provided for the two friends.

"So how's the team?" The hedgehog enquired as she flipped through the menu.

"I might get kicked off," As Mathilda gave her a concerned look, the blonde elaborated, "The coach said I need to get at least a 60 percent for all my courses or I'm not allowed to be part of any extracurricular activities,"

"That shouldn't be hard, right?"

Dylan shrugged and as the food was ordered and served, the conversation continued, "So what happened with Mariah after?"

"She was pretty upset,"

The blonde shrugged, "Not like she fucked him,"

"I think she's worried about Julia finding out about everything and stuff,"

"Hello there," A random and masculine voice entered the discussion. Mathilda looked up to see Brooklyn by their table, a smile on his face as he eyed the blonde, "I don't mean to be rude and interrupt, but I believe we bumped into each other last night at the club?"

The cheerleader nodded, "I remember,"

The ginger extended a hand, "I'm Brooklyn,"

"Dylan," She'd accepted the welcoming gesture.

"You're Tala's sister, right? From California?"

"L.A., yeah," She specified, "And yourself?"

"Brooklyn, New York," He grinned, "Well I'd love to talk some more, but unfortunately I have to get going. Maybe we can get to know each other better another time?"

"Always in a rush like a true New Yorker," The blonde stereotyped, "But sure, I'll catch you some other time,"

"Do you have a number I can reach you at?"

"Not really; my parents disconnected my phone line,"

"Facebook?"

The girls exchanged glances before Mathilda took over, "You can try adding her..."

"Will do," He assured, "So I'll see you around, Dylan,"

The cheerleader gave him a small wave as he left their table and when Mathilda was positive he'd exited the restaurant too, she eyed her companion, "You 'bumped' into him last night?"

"We danced together for, like, ten seconds,"

"Are you serious?" The pinkette's eyes widened, "You know who that is, right? I don't think you should get that close to him,"

"Why?" The blonde raised a brow, "Do you like him?"

"Hell no," Mathilda wrinkled her nose, "I guess you don't know about it, but basically Brooklyn and Kai have some history," As Dylan immediately reacted with a scrunched up face, the hedgehog rolled her eyes, "They're not gay!"

"You said they have history,"

"Oh my God," Mathilda smacked her own forehead, "Not _that _kind of history. Two years ago they had a beybattle; the first time around, Brooklyn won and Kai lost," She paused, "Pretty bad," The description was added for emphasis before she continued, "They had a second one and that time Brooklyn lost and Kai won, but it was a _really_ close battle and some people even say he won by sheer fluke or that he got lucky,"

"That's not true," The bill was dropped to their table and the two rummaged through their wallets for money while the discussion went on.

"Well, these aren't my words. Personally I think Kai is an amazing beyblader and he won fair and square, but anyways, after that Brooklyn had this huge meltdown and ended up in an asylum for a few days. As for Kai, I heard he had an asthma attack after the battle and apparently Kenny found him in the hallway and took him to the hospital,"

"So what the fuck is their problem now?"

"They've always kind of had a problem. I don't know their situation that well, but Kai's always been pretty quiet and minds his own business and to me it seems like Brooklyn's always trying to get under his skin with everything,"

"I see,"

"You didn't hear any of this from me by the way," Mathilda added and when she noticed the blonde crease her brows, she became curious, "What?"

"I have 70 dollars,"

"So?"

"So I'm not supposed to. I should have 40; I had lunch with Kai the other day and I paid half, which was 20, so even if he put the money back in here I should have 60," Then a theory was developed, "Unless he tipped me again," She shook her head, "He did this the last time we went out too, he always does,"

"Why the heck is he tipping you for?"

"How the hell would I know?"

Mathilda laughed, "What a guy."

**x x x**

Dylan had gone out with Mathilda, Bryan was preparing dinner, Ian and Spencer were watching TV, and Tala was somewhere. This left the house in an unusually peaceful state and Kai took full advantage. He'd done some reading, watched a little South Park, contemplated some more about University of Moscow and –

The sound of his cell phone going off interrupted his typing. He narrowed his eyes curiously as he saw _Hilary_ on the caller ID. She hardly ever called or texted, unless it was a mass text to all the ex Bladebreakers just to check up on them. Why was she calling now? Was Tyson making her ask for more video games? He reached over and answered the call, "Hello?"

"Hey Kai, what are you up to?"

"Nothing,"

"Are you going out later tonight? Do you have any plans?"

The questions puzzled him, "No,"

"Great!" She sounded content, "Because I was thinking that me, Julia, you, and Tala should all go out tonight for dinner and maybe drinks afterwards," What a strange offering, and Hilary seemed to know him well because she'd elaborated on the plans, "Your friend is seeing my friend and since you and I are friends, I think it would be a great opportunity for you to get to know _my_ friend and for me to get to know _your_ friend! What do you think?"

He thought it was dumb. He already knew Julia and Hilary already knew Tala, neither on a personal basis, but enough. That didn't mean Kai was going to miss the chance to see Hilary though, "K,"

"Okay!" Came the chipper response, "So Julia and I'll be there in say, I don't know, maybe an hour?"

After hanging up, the phoenix headed downstairs, "Where's Tala?"

Spencer only shrugged while Ian pointed to the garage door. Sure enough after following the direction, Kai found the redhead working on the Supra, a wrench in his hand as he screwed something under the hood. While all the Blitzkrieg Boys knew the basics here and there of a car just like most men, Tala had the most knowledge, his surpassing that of just the basics. Kai wasn't too far behind when it came to the familiarity of vehicles either and he definitely knew more than the average guy, but he didn't know as much as Tala did; any repair his car needed or any mod he wanted to do was done entirely and solely by the him. The only time he'd really go to an actual certified mechanic was when he didn't have the right set of tools. Recalling Dylan mentioning that their dad was a former mechanic and the owner of a garage, Tala's fluency with cars was not a surprise. As for who had _more _knowledge on cars between Tala and Dylan, Kai didn't know, but he'd bet his money on the former for biased reasons.

"Hilary called," The bluenette finally spilled as he stood by the doorframe, "We're going out,"

"What the fuck?" Looking surprised, the redhead glanced over his shoulder, "She asked you out?"

"No. You're coming also. So is Julia. They'll be here in an hour."

* * *

**EARTHQUAKE...again.** The epicentre was in Virginia, U.S, but we felt it all the way up in Toronto wtf! This is the second earthquake in practically a year for Toronto and we don't get earthquakes! And to my New Yorkers, I love you all and I hope everything's okay after Hurricane Irene! My cousin lives there!

**WARNING! **This story has been developing for a while...and I want to remind everyone that there WILL be mature themes in this story! Read at your own discretion!

**ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS. **

**How many years apart are Alden and Kai? **Alden had Kai when he was 16; they are 16 years apart. This is mentioned when Dylan asks Tala about Kai's dad; he tells her Alden's age and Dylan calculates that Alden was 16 at the time.

**What is the one similarity that everyone notices about Dylan and Tala? **They may have a lot of similarities, but the ONE that really stands out is their eyes. It was also mentioned that they get it from their dad.

**What is Tala's 'type' of woman? **There are MANY chapters dedicated to this :P Most of you answered correctly.

**What just happened between Dylan and Mariah and Lee? **Recall that in the beginning chapters Mariah tells Lee that Dylan is her friend to avoid conflict between Lee and Tala. After finding text messages on Mariah's phone from Tala – which were ACTUALLY sent by Dylan from Tala's phone (REMEMBER THIS!) – Lee confronts Tala in chapter 31. Two other people were present: Dylan and Kenny...BUT no one knows that Kenny was there and that he heard everything.

Hilary and Mariah eventually find out what happened between Lee and Tala. When Mariah approaches Lee about the event, Lee asks if Dylan told her. WHY did he ask about Dylan? B/c 1) as far as he knows Dylan was the only other person that witnessed everything, and 2) Mariah said that Dylan was a friend and many of you should know from your own personal experiences that friends tell friends everything. So Lee assumes that Dylan is the one that told Mariah everything and in chapter 41 he confronts Dylan and says, "Mariah tells me you two are friends so I'm sure you know who I am".

Now Dylan knows that Mariah has been telling Lee that she and her are friends – and it is safe to assume that Dylan realizes that it's b/c of Tala – and so when Mariah slept over, she made a call to Lee to let him know. This works b/c even though Tala's presence is inevitable – b/c duh, he lives there and Dylan is his sister – Lee has to accept it b/c he thinks Dylan and Mariah are friends and although he can tell her not to hang out with Tala, he can't really tell her not to hang out with her 'friend'. In conclusion, you can BASICALLY say that Dylan is playing all three people at once: Lee, Mariah, and Tala, and none of them have any idea about it.

**What are some reasons why Mathilda is getting along with Dylan better than she is with the other BBA girls? **Most should have been obvious to everyone, the hints were always dropped. Also, Miguel flat out tells you why in chapter 43. Mathilda is listed as 16, BUT ONLY A FEW WEEKS SHY OF BEING 17, meaning Dylan and Mathilda are the same age (ie. Born in the same year, just a few months apart).

**Why does Julia – indirectly/secretly – have something against Mariah? **Obviously Mariah and Tala have history. Mariah and Julia are friends. Now Julia is seeing Tala. Put yourself in Julia's shoes: imagine yourself, your best friend, and a guy. The guy had history with your best friend and now that guy is seeing you...wouldn't you be insecure too? How you show it may either be the same way as Julia or completely different, but you can't deny that you WILL be a little uncomfortable even if it's a TINY bit...especially if you hear rumours (such as from Mathilda and Dylan) that something might still be going on between them.

**What did you learn about the following characters in this chapter: Dylan, Mathilda, Tala, Mariah, and Kai. **Lol, I can't tell you this, that would be giving too much away and there won't be a point in the story anymore. The last chapter REALLY developed the characters of all these people in question and I hope everyone picked up on them. If not, don't worry, you'll catch onto them soon enough. Like I said, the best thing to do is to put yourself in their shoes or imagine that Dylan or Mathilda or whoever is someone you know in real life – how would you judge them?

**ALSO EVERYONE GO READ SALINAH2'S REVIEW FOR CHAPTER 44! SHE HAS 2 REVIEWS!**

**XOXO TO...**

**Kickstartmyhart – **You wish the Tala/Mariah thing would go further? BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

**Darial Kuznetsova – **OMG...I THOUGHT YOU DIED! I mean not literally (well...maybe...God forbid)...don't ever do that again! LOL! Just leave an unsigned review! I'm glad to have you back though!

**Xxz0eyxx – **Checking for my panties would be the first thing I'd check for if I ever wake up beside some man! Anyways, I usually don't answer too many story related questions to avoid giving too much away, but in your case about the ring...NO! The ring has nothing to do with Kyrone. Kyrone is not even a lead character, he was basically used to develop Dylan's character. AND THE CONCERT WAS SOOOO AMAZING! OMG! OUT OF THIS WORLD! BEST DAY OF MY LIFE I SWEAR!

**Bey-beyfan – **When Spencer guessed Jamaican for Kai, it was a joke lol. Spencer is basically the 'dumb blonde' stereotype, so dumb things will come out of his mouth and they won't even make sense lol. If you're trying to figure out Kai's other half, I would say make your judgement based on what the others said about him (Tala: Armenian, Dylan: Italian, Mathilda: South African, Ian: Turkish, Bryan: German, Ukrainian, Polish). Anyways, just like you know 5 Spanish words, that's how it is in Canada lol...people only know like one or two French words. As for where I work, I work for a bank! I promote their credit cards! Haha! I've had like 100 jobs lol. The WORST part about Canada...definitely the snow. Oh lord, oh lord...how do I even describe it. I swear we probably get more snow than Russia and shit. It's not funny, no seriously. It's like drowning in it. Your boots get soaked. Snow plows plow the snow onto the sides so when you cross the street, you have to climb/walk over/drown in a snow bank. The best part...we're VERY nice! Lol I think I read somewhere that Canada is the number one nation that says sorry a lot, and for no reason at all...SO true! LOL! As for food, yup, our food is practically the same as you guys (though my family comes from a different background so we eat other food lol). Americans and Canadians are not that different, just a few minor differences here and there I guess.

**Peroxxide Priincess – **Definitely correct :P

**Norweg91 – **Well what Dylan was particularly mad at was self explanatory, but I will put up another set of questions next chapter to see if everyone understood or not! Then I'll answer them in the chapter after that!

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **Tala and Jersey Shore should not be put in the same sentence. Lol. However, there are characters in Exiled that are fans of Jersey Shore! They were mentioned! Hilary and Mariah for example lol haha.

**Meh – **Before I say anything else...COME TO TORONTO! I LIVE HERE! I was born in Montreal, then I moved to Vancouver, and now I live in Toronto! Toronto is not the capital, the capital is Ottawa...which DEFINITELY isn't as developed as Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver! Ottawa was chosen as the capital city for a different reason way back when lol. Niagra Falls is just the name of the falls, the actual city that it's in is called St. Katherine's which is just 2 hours away from Toronto! Oh man, you gotta come to Canada for sure! Anyways, about the rest of your review, you answered the questions really well! I'm going to try to put up more questions for the next chapter, I think it will help everyone!

**SalinaH2 – **ANOTHER INDIAN IN THE HOUSE! WOOHOO! We are neighbours! I was born and bred in Canada, but my parents are from Bangladesh! Do you speak Hindi? What part of India are you from? And you MUST tell me about Denmark! I've never been out of Canada! I have no idea what the rest of the world is like! Anyways, about your review, I was blown away at how much you picked up! And I LOVE long reviews so I had so much fun reading it! But man oh man, your analysis of all the characters is just dead on! I try to make everyone different, but real at the same time. It's a little difficult, but not impossible b/c the characters ARE based on people I know in real life. And are you a fan of the Skyline? That's like my dream car lol. Anyways, I'm REALLY glad you mentioned Miriam in your reviews! She will definitely be a recurring character in the story and her role is important! I just had to tell everyone to read your review lol it was just that good! I read it more than once myself! I'm curious to see what else you'll discover with the upcoming chapters!

**PhoenixxLament – **This update took a while too! I had this chapter written, but sometimes I like to have at least 2 chapters written so that I know for sure that I don't want to/need to make any further changes. So yes, that means the other chapter is in progress :P Other than that there was exams and work! I actually updated the night before my exam LOL! Btw, I like how you asked for a specification to question 2 as to what I was referring to: the reader or the characters in the story. I'd say both your answers are right! And LOLLLLLLL I DIED reading your answer for number 7 where you said "...until Lee decided to butt in and be an asshole" LOL! I don't care if you didn't intend pun, but I did! HAHA! I'm cracking up now just re-reading it lmao. About Texas...yeah, that was me stereotyping for sure with the accents haha. But yeah, I wouldn't think that Houston and the other bigger cities would have an accent...maybe VERY slight, but not really. And just like people think you ride cowboys to school, people think we (Canadians) live in igloos lol. And I have no idea what I'm getting/doing for my birthday yet!

**Zeratheliger – **You can smoke in the airport in Russia? Wtf? Lmao...that's definitely not something we North Americans are used to, now are we? Lol. And really some of them didn't stop to help? Now that's another thing Americans and Canadians would find odd b/c we go out of our ways to help people ESPECIALLY if they're new to our countries. And in your opinion, do you think they were racist? I'm not trying to generalize (and if anyone else is reading this response, don't be offended please), but I did hear that people in Europe are kinda racist towards other races. I learned a LOT from your review though! It helped a LOT! Thanks so much, I owe you! Xoxo

**LadyAkari1 **

**Arione – **Stop being sorry for not reviewing! Lol! You reviewed the last one and that counts! Anyways, the stuff about Kai and university will definitely come back! For sure, for sure! In fact, it was mentioned a little bit in this chapter!

**Cursefreedom**

**Tany – **You HAVE to tell me about the hangover! LOL! Btw, what do you speak in Slovenia? And your answer to the "why does Mathilda and Dylan get along" question was REALLY good! I was really impressed!

**Paperplanesxx – **Damn, you work at a law firm? Wish I could get a job like that! Lol! I'm working for a bank promoting their credit cards so I basically stand by a booth and scream and people walking by at the top of my lungs...never thought I'd be doing a job like that LOL! But it pays really well so I'm cool with it! Btw, are you Spanish? I'm curious b/c you answered a question saying "And Spanish chicks can be possessive, I should know" lol.


	46. Chapter Forty Six

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

_Knock-knock_.

"Door!" Ian announced.

"Open it!" Tala shouted from the garage.

"Spencer's getting it!" Ian lazily flipped the channels on TV, "Spencer! Door!"

"I'm taking a shit!"

"Kai! Get the door!"

_Knock-knock_.

Bryan groaned from his room, "Someone get the door!"

"Ian, you fucking asswipe, open the door!" The team captain warned.

_Knock-knock._

"Bryan!"

"SOMEONE GET THE FUCKING DOOR!"

The door was eventually answered. By Bryan, if anyone was wondering. Surprise, surprise. Kai had made his way downstairs just in time to see Bryan welcoming Julia and Hilary inside, the latter looking like a TKO. Her rich brown hair let down, some of it tucked inside the winter scarf that was around her neck, her ruby eyes accentuated with some shadow and mascara, her cheeks were a rosy colour from the cold, and a pair of earrings gleamed between strands of her hair. Her style was very romantic and mature and how Tyson _couldn't_ be fond of someone as beautiful as her really blew Kai's mind.

But that was okay. If Tyson didn't want her, it was all the better for Kai.

With only four people and with all of them heading to the same place, it made sense to take out only one car. Tala and Julia got into the front of the Toyota while Hilary and Kai claimed the back. They headed downtown where restaurants and bars were more common. Half way during the ride, Hilary leaned forward in her seat from the back and pointed out the windshield at two girls on the sidewalk, "Isn't that Mathilda?"

"And Dill Pickle," Tala smirked as he suddenly drove closer to the curb and sped up, a massive puddle made of melted snow in view just up ahead.

Kai gave the redhead a pathetic look from the rear view mirror, "What are you doing?"

"Watch this," The captain laughed as he honked the horn just to get Dylan and Mathilda's attention and it was as soon as they looked up that the Supra drove right over the puddle. They both took cover, the hedgehog raising an arm over her head and the cheerleader using what Tala recognized as one of their mother's older purses to cover her face. Too bad it didn't help, and in a matter of seconds they were drenched head to toe in the dirty slush. The F-word – and other unmentionable words – was heard many times as the car zoomed away.

"That was hilarious!" Julia laughed.

Hilary gave the redhead a disapproving look, "That was mean,"

Tala didn't have any of it, "That was epic!"

As for Kai, he wondered why – and how – Tala and him were such good friends in the first place.

Finally, after much fuss thanks to difference in opinions, a restaurant was picked where the group was seated at a table for four, "Any drinks to start off?" The waiter had asked.

"Heineken,"

"Stella,"

"Strawberry margarita,"

And last but not least, Hilary. "Just a glass of white wine is fine, thanks,"

Seeing 'just a glass of white wine' on the table was certainly different from what Kai was used to seeing when in the company of a woman. A particular transparent pink one with a wedge of lime or swirled lemon peel hanging off the martini glass came to mind. The Cosmopolitan. By now he had come to recognize that, other than Lemon Drops, Appletinis, and other fruity drinks, the Cosmo was Dylan's absolute favourite, the drink having been ordered on numerous occasions.

"So!" Hilary began with a smile, exchanging glances with each and everyone at the table, namely the males, "How's everyone doing?"

"Can't complain," The redhead answered. How truthful that was. After all, he was pimpin'. The concept of kissing and feeling up Mariah last night and then meeting Julia tonight was kind of funny for Tala. While Hilary went on and on about something, the redhead smirked at Kai from across the table. But perhaps it wasn't _that_ funny. If Julia found out about anything, then not only would Tala officially be known as an asshole among all the women of the BBA, but Julia and Mariah's friendship would suffer, friends of both girls would feel awkward and uncomfortable and may even be forced to pick the side of one girl, and Lee would be up his ass.

No homo.

And that was why, for all those reasons and more, it was so important for him to talk everything over with Mariah. They needed to keep their stories straight if anyone ever asked and there was no way in hell Julia could know about any of this. The events of last night were to remain a secret. Forever. To be perfectly fair though, it really wasn't his fault that his eyeballs were attracted to her last night. She looked good and Tala liked to look at things that looked good. It was only human nature. Besides, her ass...well, that was a story for another day.

"- Julia single-handedly organized the circus this summer for three cities,"

Forgetting about Mariah's booty, the Californian snapped back to reality as Hilary tried to boost Julia's image by telling Kai about one of her positive attributes.

"K," But the slate haired blader didn't seem very 'into' it and his lack of interest was painfully obvious.

"Okay..." Hilary smiled awkwardly and patted the phoenix on the shoulder while looking at Julia, "He's very quiet,"

He was also being an asshole. Tala frowned. It was hard enough to read someone like Kai, but being friends with him for so long, through thick and then, and then living with him gave the captain a better assessment of the phoenix than most people. That being said, Tala was able to pick up on something else other than just ordinary silence from Kai, something negative.

Could Julia be right? Could Kai have something against the idea of them being together? Could Kai – dare Tala think it – be _jealous_? The redhead immediately ceased his thoughts. No. It was impossible. The line between competition and envy were often blurred and while Kai was very much the former, the latter was not a word anyone could associate him with, not even his enemies. He was one of the most selfless men and it was always in the subtlest of ways, but it was definitely there.

Too much love involved in their bromance, Tala shrugged off the entire situation at hand. He decided that perhaps Julia misunderstood Kai's behaviour and whatever was happening between them, if anything at all, would fix itself. Much of the night continued in the same direction with Hilary doing most of the talking, Tala adding a few words here and there to reduce awkwardness, Kai 'hn'-ing, and Julia rolling her eyes at Kai every now and then. After the bill was paid – courtesy of the two guys – it was time to head home. What should have been the girls being dropped off at their hotel with the guys turning back to go to their own home ended up with the guys eventually following the girls upstairs.

"Didn't you have to talk to Kenny about your blade?"

In the elevator, Kai raised a brow at the redhead. He knew what Tala was getting at. So had Hilary apparently, who rolled her eyes, "If you want alone time with Julia," She grabbed the slate haired blader's arm to drag him out as the doors opened on her floor, "You can just ask,"

As the brunette turned the other way, she missed the wink Tala gave Kai. Yes, he wanted alone time with Julia, but that was only half the truth. What he was really doing was trying to 'hook a brother up'...a.k.a giving Kai the opportunity to have alone time with Hilary.

The elevator doors closed, officially separating the groups. With hands in his pockets, Kai strolled a few steps behind Hilary who led the way to her suite that she shared with Tyson and the others. She knocked once, twice, and when nobody answered, she sighed, taking out her key card, "They're probably at the gym," She opened the door only to groan at the sight of the unclean dining table, "Sorry about the mess,"

Living with four other guys, Kai had seen worse. Especially in the washroom after Spencer used it..._any_ways, stepping into the suite, he kicked off his shoes and waited for Hilary to direct the way. They ended up in the living room, her on one couch, him on another. The TV had been turned on with Hilary in control of the remote, "So how has everything been for you, Kai?"

"Everything has been fine,"

Tossing the remote aside, she lay down on her tummy with her elbows resting on the armrest and eyed him, "Any plans of rejoining the Bladebreakers?" As he sent her a quizzical look, she chuckled, "It would be nice to have you guys all back together again, you know, it's been so long,"

"Perhaps in the future," His attention returned to the infomercial on TV, "Besides," He smirked, "You just want to play coach again,"

"What can I say?" She shrugged with a laugh, "I make a great coach!"

"You tell yourself that,"

"Hey, only _I_ ever managed to make Tyson run 15 laps around the football field,"

"Congratulations. Unfortunately I forgot the cookies at home,"

Hilary shook her head, "You haven't changed at all, Kai. Anyways, what do you think about Julia and Tala?"

"I don't think anything of it,"

"You must have some sort of opinion about your best friend seeing someone,"

"No,"

"Well, do you like Julia?"

"I don't know Julia and I don't care much for her. If Tala likes her, that's his problem,"

She quirked a brow, picking at the faint clue, "Why is it a problem?" When he remained silent, Hilary postulated, "You don't think she's good enough for him, do you?"

"I'm not at liberty to speak for Tala,"

"You know, she really likes him. Just between you and me," And if Hilary knew Kai well, which she did, she knew it would forever stay between them, "Julia thinks you don't like her and frankly, I do too. How come?"

"I have no problem with Julia, but I cannot say the same for Tala,"

"What does that mean?"

"What I just said,"

Hilary gave up. To figure out Kai would be like to figure out the actual size of the universe – you just couldn't. Nonetheless, she was content with what she knew of him so far and it was definitely a lot more than most people save for Ray, Tyson, Max, Kenny, and Tala and the other Blitzkrieg Boy.

"So how's the book so far?" The subject was swiftly changed, "Did you finish it?"

"Almost,"

"Do you like it so far?"

"It's a remarkable piece of work,"

Hilary grinned, "I knew you'd like _Secret Daughter_! I know you too well, Kai!"

**x x x**

Tala was never fond of Mondays. That was _before_ Dylan came to Russia. With the blonde trapped in school 6 hours a day, he loved the weekdays! It was about 10 in the morning when he came downstairs to make himself breakfast. He heard Spencer enter the kitchen as well with a yawn, "PB and J," The captain held up two pieces of bread along, "You want?"

"Sure," Spencer shrugged and lazily let his head plop on the table while he waited, "What are plans for today?"

"I know Kai went training," He prepared the first sandwich for Spencer before making his own, "I'm thinking I might join him,"

The blonde nodded as he took a bite of his meal, "So what's up with you and Mariah?"

"Nothing, we're cool,"

"Yeah, sure," Spencer rolled his eyes, "She looked hot as fuck that night, did you see her?" And as Tala glared at him, he smirked, "She didn't seem too happy about it in the morning," Spencer smirked, "What happened? Too many drinks? Couldn't get it up?" All he got in response was Tala's sandwich crusts thrown at his face, "Alright, but seriously though, what's happening with you two? Does Julia know or what?"

"Are you fucking insane? Julia doesn't know anything and she never will,"

"What if Mariah rats you out to Julia?"

"That's why I have to talk to her," He appropriately sent her a text message at that point.

"What are you gonna say to her?"

"I don't fucking know,"

"Well what _I_ know," Bryan stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge to display its nearly empty state, "is someone needs to do the groceries,"

Tala and Spencer exchanged glances, "Not it!" It was practically said in unison and thus another method was brought into play as Spencer's hand turned into a fist, "Rock, paper, scissor,"

It was agreed upon as the redhead did the same and as their choices were selected, Tala grimaced at his lousy pick of paper while Spencer beat him with scissors, "Best 2 out of 3,"

"Fuck you, sore loser," Spencer got up and headed for the living room, half his sandwich in hand, "Get the groceries."

Just as Tala was about to throw a piece of his sandwich at Spencer's retreating back, he was interrupted as his cell phone blinked, indicating a new message. Anticipating that it was a reply from Mariah, he straightened up and checked it immediately only for the feeling to subside when he realized it was not from her and the contents weren't even for him.

_From: Mallory_

_this kyrone thing has been blown SOOO out of proportion! U and him didn't even have anything going on! I said i was sorry i dunno wat more u want from me! we have to talk, please call me...im sorry and ily. _

**x x x**

" – two bagels with cream cheese, one with just butter, an all bran muffin, a yogurt, three coffees, a latte, a chocolate milk and..." Hilary trailed off, mentally checking off the orders, "That's it!" The cashier behind the register nodded and the total showed on the computer screen. Providing the employee with cash in exchange for her purchases, the brunette made her way over to the table where Julia, Mariah, Emily, and a novice, Mathilda, were.

"Thank you," The ginger smiled, pulling on of the coffees towards her along with the bagel and cream cheese, "No one else is joining us, right?"

"Nope,"

Mathilda looked around the table, her eyes landing on Julia for a split second, "Not even Miriam?" Mariah subtly looked over at the Spanish blader and then at Mathilda who seemed to remember the grudge, "Oh, I'm so sorry," Her face tinged a pink colour, "I completely forgot that you and Miriam..."

"It's okay," Julia sighed, "If she wants to act like a child, then so be it,"

"What exactly is she being childish about?" Emily adjusted her glasses.

"I don't even know," Julia rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I'm over it," She waved it off with a gesture of the hand before catching Mariah's gaze, "What?"

"Nothing," Mariah smiled, "You look nice today,"

"Not as nice as you!" Julia joked with a chuckle, "And what's with the scarf? It's so hot in here!"

"Oh," The White Tiger patted at the white knitted material around her neck, "I have a sore throat, so, you know," Lying was hard enough, but to have to lie to your own friends was harder.

"That really doesn't do anything for a sore throat," Emily piped in, "Anyone with average IQ would have known that,"

Mariah gave her rival a lame look, "Right, right, that must prove why you don't know that wearing a scarf _does_ sooth a sore throat,"

"Alright, alright," Hilary raised her arms, "Both of you are right,"

"That's literally impossible," Emily pointed out, "Anyways, on to more important matters,"

Mariah glared at Philadelphian, but the morbid thoughts going through her head were cut off by an incoming text message on her cell phone. While everyone else had been busy talking, she quickly checked it, biting her lip in nervousness as she did.

_From: Red Bull_

_i have to talk to u_

She closed her phone quickly and though she thought no one had noticed a thing, Mathilda had. The 16 year old raised a brow in question, almost as if to ask if it was Tala, and Mariah only nodded subtly.

Systematically, Mathilda pushed her chair back and stood up, "Anyone else need to use the washroom?" Her eyes landed on Mariah instinctively. Without another choice – and not wanting to bait out her scene – the White Tiger followed her into the girls' room.

"So what's Tala saying?"

"He said he wants to talk..."

"You should talk to him,"

"What is there to talk about? I mean what exactly is he supposed to say to me and what the hell am I supposed to say to him? This whole thing is so messed up. I really don't want to talk to him or see him ever again," She leaned against the counter, "Or his friends!"

"So you don't like him at all?"

"In what context are you asking? If it's _like_ like, then obviously not, if it's just liking him as a person, then, well, he's really not that bad. I know he can be a little intimidating sometimes, but he's really nice," Suddenly she laughed, "He's actually a joker once you really get to know him,"

"You think he's funny?"

"He's pretty funny,"

Mathilda thought back to the cruel 'joke' Tala had pulled on her and Dylan yesterday, ruining their entire night out, "He's not _that_ funny..." She muttered, but it was okay, she knew Dylan would seek vengeance, "So what else do you think about him?"

Mariah shrugged, "I don't really think anything of him,"

"Don't you think he's cute?"

"Is that a rhetorical question? Obviously he's cute, the whole world including gay men think so, I mean come on,"

"Yeah...so who else knows about what happened that night with you and Tala?"

"Only you," Mariah stared at Mathilda, "And I want it to stay that way,"

"My lips are sealed,"

"It's not that I don't trust the others, it's just that...I don't want them to think I'm a slut or something. I don't want them to judge me,"

"Well if it means anything, I don't think like that about you,"

"Thanks," Mariah smiled, "And it does mean a lot. Anyways, let's go before the others get suspicious."

**x x x**

After picking up the groceries and then training with Kai for a bit, Tala headed home. He pulled into his driveway and as he took the key out of the ignition, he checked his Blackberry for any messages and upon finding none, he frowned.

"Stupid bitch..." He muttered as he exited the Toyota. Making his way to the front porch, Tala was mildly surprised to find the door ajar. Stepping in, he was greeted first by his younger counterpart embracing him. Narrowing his eyes in confusion, he patted her on the back in return and just before she pulled away, he felt a _crack_ sound from the top of his head followed by what he could only describe as egg yolk gooping down his forehead and nose.

Payback's a female dog, sweetheart.

"DY-LAN!" That was cue enough for Dylan to make a run for it and the chase began as Tala angrily went after her.

From the couch, Ian only shook his head in dismay while Spencer looked on in amusement as the siblings bodies disappeared up the stairs, and Bryan quickly poured himself some wine, gulping the first sips down to quicken the effect.

Racket was heard from upstairs consisting of yelling – and maybe even beatings – followed by an eerie silence. Tala emerged from his room seconds later, and although having an egg on his head, he grabbed a seat on the couch anyway. Ian sent a quizzical look to which the captain snapped, "What?"

'What' was answered almost immediately and Bryan only grimaced at the ridiculous sight that was Dylan, who somehow managed to make it downstairs in one piece despite having Tala's – hopefully clean – underwear over her head. Some of her hair stuck out of one of the leg holes and she seemed to be in a state of panic as she tried to pull it off with no avail, walking straight into a wall and falling backwards instead.

While serious hilarity ensued for Ian and Spencer, Bryan eyed his half empty glass of red before walking back into the kitchen, "Gonna need something stronger..."

* * *

**BOYS WHO ARE READING THIS! **MEN! It is an honour to have you read this story! No, it's not weird, and NO, you're not the only one! To my knowledge, there are 3 to 4 guys reading this story (since they reviewed and let me know they were a guy) so who knows, there could be more! If you're a guy and reading this, REVIEW! Also, am I representing the men in this story right? LOL! I know it's not 100 percent accurate, after all, I'm not a guy lmao, but I hope that most of their traits are right!

**QUESTIONS! **I gave detailed answers to the last questions...did anyone see them?

**WARNING! **I would also like to say that this story WILL have mature themes. Read at your discretion. Or take pointers...LOL!

**THANK YOU TO...**

**Kickstartmyhart – **My job is sometimes fun and sometimes really...stressful, I guess would be the right word to use haha. Standing in the middle of the mall screaming at everyone to get a goddamn credit card isn't always easy! LOL!

**Arione – **HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! It was my birthday on September 12! I just turned 23! I KNOW! OLD! LOL! And yes...there will DEF be Tala/Mariah...very soon...VERY, VERY soon...hint hint...haha!

**Cursefreedom**

**Norweg91 – **That's okay if you can't analyze! But try to tell me what you saw in this chapter between Kai/Hilary, Mathilda and Mariah, etc!

**50525 – **Wow, if all men could be as smart as you...assholes wouldn't exit...LOL! But it's true lol. So what do you do now? Are you back in Toronto?

**Xxz0eyxx – **The Kai and the goats thing came from my best friend, she has this strange obsession with goats! About the hurricane and all, we're fine! It hit New York and we're 8 hours away from there so all we got was a shit load of wind (I remember walking outside that day and being 5'5 and 97 pounds, my ass was blown across the street...). Are there any natural disasters where you live?

**Snuffy – **Haha, your review is what really made me make that author's note. YES it's okay to read it if you're a guy lol why DO you read it though? I'd really like to know! Btw, where are you from? (Like what country!)

**PhoenixxLament – **MY BIRTHDAY WAS ON SEPTEMBER 12! I JUST TURNED 23! The hurricane was in New York, but we're 8 hours away so it just got REALLY windy here! And the college question, I really don't know how to answer lol...I got into university when I was 19, I got suspended right after my first year and returned when I was 21, then I got dismissed from the university and my financial aid was also discontinued and I had no other choice but to make my own money and go to college. I just started college in May and my second semester started this month. I'll apply for university again in December to see if they'll take me back for January. I know it's really messed up. The only advice I have for you if you're in school is do EVERY single assignment you have and don't fall behind in class and ATTEND ALL YOUR CLASSES! Trust me, it helps. And I cracked up reading the cowboys part hahaha it was a typo! I meant to say people riding horses! As for Winnipeg being the coldest city in Canada, I don't know, but I don't think so. Cities further up north are definitely colder! Right now it's only 5 degrees Celsius in Toronto!

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **Very good breakdown on Mathilda! I'm impressed! I didn't mention the pre-paid phone stuff b/c I don't know if people around the world know about it. I mean I know about it (we have it in Canada), I don't know if the US has it but I think they do...but if Europe doesn't have that and someone from Europe is reading this story they'll be like "what the fuck is a prepaid?" lmao. The goats was not a story that was included in the story lol it was just a snippet for everyone's imagination on what Kai, Tyson, Max, Ray, and Kenny are up to after a guys' night out hahaha.

**Meh – **Yup, even though I was writing it, I got dirty thoughts about the goats too! How sinful. LOL ABOUT "DYLANFLUENCE" HAHA! That's genius! So has your school decided on where they're going for the trip?

**I do not understand tanzy – **You never sent me the "Hangover" story! :( LOL! I had one of my own a few days ago...it was great...until I threw up...100 times...LOL! Do you go to an English school btw?

**Bey-beyfan – **Were you grounded! LOL! And holy hell, you live two hours away from NY and I live 8 hours away so it had to be WAYYY worse for you guys! It was just really windy for us that's all! I'm glad you can relate to Dylan and Mathilda! That's my whole point! I want people to be able to relate to them! And yeah guys can SOMETIMES make better friends...the other times, they just wanna get into your pants! That's why I'm scared to make guy friends sometimes b/c I never know what their intentions are!

**Darial Kuznetsova **

**SalinaH2 – **I've been to Bangladesh once for 3 months! It was cool and all...but I came back with lice and roundworms :| That's b/c I walked barefoot outside and ate anything and everything from street vendors and now that I think about it I'm like wtf lmao. I'm really scared to go back for those reasons but all my friends have gone and nothing ever happens to them. Something always happens to me though lol I always get into the stupidest situations (probably b/c I _am_ stupid!). I'm kind of like you, I was born and bred in Canada. I can speak Bengali but I can't speak Hindi...I can understand most of it though (I grew up watching Shah Rukh Khan movies haha!). My parents can speak Hindi though. Canada's good! It's really great in the summer! What did you think about this chapter?

**Choco3Symphony**


	47. Chapter Forty Seven

**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

After Tala washed the egg out of his hair and after Ian and Spencer helped get the underwear off Dylan's head, it was time for dinner. As for what was served, who knows. Let's just assume it had something to do with cabbage.

"Your hoe sent you a message by the way," Tala started, sliding his phone across the table to Dylan.

"She's not a -"

"Fucking random guys makes you a hoe, end of story,"

The blonde rolled her eyes before staring at the device for a second or two. Sighing, she finally picked it up and checked the text and from the looks of it, she must have been reading it over a few times. It was when she held the phone to her ear that the redhead raised a brow, "You're calling her?"

"Yeah, she said sorry,"

Tala laughed hysterically, "Where did she say sorry?"

Disconnecting the line right away and bringing the text back on the screen, she pointed, "It says _sorry_ you illiterate moron,"

"Just because you can _see _something, doesn't mean it's actually _there_,"

"I can see it and its there. She knows what she did was wrong and she apologized; that's all I wanted,"

The older Ivanov shrugged, "Sure, suit yourself, Dill Pickle," And that was probably one of the differences between them. Dylan was Tala's past and Tala was Dylan's future; with age came wisdom.

Shaking her head, she'd excused herself from the dinner table to head upstairs to her room. Searching up _Mallory_ in the phone book, she hit dial. Only for the line to connect with someone who didn't completely sound like Mallory.

"Hello?"

"...M?"

"Isn't this Tala's phone? Who is this?"

"Dylan...who's this?"

"Mariah..."

Mildly freaked out, the blonde immediately ended the call. She couldn't have accidentally called Mariah, no way. She checked, confirming that the name she'd called was indeed _Mallory_. But the number saved with the name was not Mallory's. It was not even a Los Angeles number.

She scrolled through the entire phonebook, passing by the usual Bryan, Spencer, Lauren, Kai, Mattie, Julia, Ian, Mom, Dad, Ozuma, Kane, others, and even the real Mallory who had conveniently been listed under 'Hoe', but no Mariah, at least not by name. Tala changed Mariah's number under a different name – why?

It was not the first time she had encountered something of this nature. She'd done it on her own phone a few times and some of her friends were also guilty of such 'crime' and there was always only one reason why they'd do it: to avoid problems with the opposite sex. Maybe a new boyfriend had a problem with an ex boyfriend and didn't want you talking to him, and if you and the ex boyfriend were on good terms then to cut off contact with him would be difficult and awkward. A little white lie, though not always guaranteed to remain 'little', such as changing someone's name in your phonebook could keep _three_ parties happy: yourself, the new boyfriend, and the ex boyfriend. Note that the roles could be reversed and 'boyfriend' could be replaced with 'girlfriend'.

Of course if the lie was ever to come out in the open, there could be some serious conflict and drama.

The discovery was quickly shared with Mathilda over text messages and after deleting the text messages to erase any evidence that she was snooping through her brother's phone, the 'Hoe' was called.

**x x x**

"Where we eat our lunch today?" The question was posed by Vika as she looked over her shoulder at the three others. The lunch bell had just gone off and students littered the hallways and the field outside.

"McDonald's!" Luka grinned, "I get burger,"

"I'm not going there," Dylan pulled her jacket from her locker, "There's a racist guy that works there,"

Readying a cigarette by tucking it behind his ear, Edward only raised a pink brow while Vika enquired more about it, "Racist? What you mean?"

"He doesn't like Americans,"

"No," Luka shook his head, "Nobody racist in Russia, it is false,"

Dylan rolled her eyes, "One out of five people here have given me shit just because I'm American,"

"It's not true!"

"I'm not going to McDonald's,"

"We are not racist!"

"Oh my God," With language an evident barrier, some things had been misunderstood, "I'm not calling _you_ one," The blonde clarified, "You guys are cool, but some people," She shrugged, "I don't know,"

"I don't have problem with you, you have war with us, but that is okay, it's long time ago, I don't care about it," Bringing politics into it was probably not a good idea, but some etiquettes appropriate in the Russian culture were considered offensive in the American culture, and some things appropriate in the American culture were probably considered rude in the Russian culture. It was a cultural gap. Nonetheless, Luka meant well.

The plans to go to McDonald's were scrapped and the group headed to another eatery instead. They had just about reached their destination when the honk of a car was heard. The four stopped, all of them looking to the side of the road at the Black Mercedes and as the window rolled down, Edward eyed the Californian, "It's that man from other day,"

The return of Alden Hiwatari, this time almost near her school property. He smiled and nodded at the three students and then turned to the cheerleader, "Dylan, I am so sorry to come like this," His face showed regret and even a hint of apprehension, "You are having lunch now?"

"Yeah, we're going there," She pointed to the burger joint up ahead.

"They go, you come with me, I buy you lunch," In other words, he wanted to talk. Understanding such, and as hesitant and as forced as the decision was, Dylan parted from Vika, Luka, and Edward and hopped into the car, "I am sorry, Dylan," He apologized again, "I know you don't want to talk,"

"No, no, it's nothing like that," A lie, but courtesy often came first.

"You talk to Kai? You told him anything?"

"I didn't tell him I saw you, but I tried to tell him that he should talk to you,"

"He said what?"

"He doesn't want to talk," She confessed, "But I think if you give him more time, he'll talk to you,"

Alden was frustrated, "How much time he need? He give me headache, he is so stubborn,"

"But he's also mouldable,"

The splitting image of Kai looked at the blonde for a second and then back at the road, "What do you mean mouldable?"

"You can manipulate him,"

"No, he is too smart for those kinds of things," He laughed, and although it was friendly, it was a sign that he didn't entirely believe his son's way of thinking could be influenced by anything or anyone, "To do that, we will need someone more intelligent than him. Anyways, where you want to eat?"

She shrugged, "Anywhere,"

This time she was taken to a local restaurant where the atmosphere was slightly grungy, but usually in these sorts of places the food was fantastic. And it was. A sandwich with apple juice was served for Dylan and for Alden, a burger and...

"Heineken,"

Taking a bite out of her turkey sandwich, the blonde grinned, "Kai likes Heineken too,"

Alden smirked, "He learn from me."

**x x x**

"I'm starving, man,"

Max rolled his eyes, "Tyson, you're always starving,"

As they strolled down the streets of Moscow, the world champ playfully shoved the Philadelphian, "So you seen Miriam lately?"

"Nope," The blonde shook his head, "Come on Tyson, she hates my guts,"

"No duh, any girl would hate your guts if you're gonna go fuck their best friend,"

"Tyson!"

"Alright, sorry, sorry. By the way Hilary was telling me the other day about how Kai doesn't like Julia even though she's seeing Tala,"

"Kai doesn't like anyone," Max rolled his eyes, "Except goats,"

"That's exactly what I said!"

"Tyson! You know we're not supposed to talk about that night! We made a pact,"

"Man, we make a pact every night we go out. And relax, I didn't tell Hilary anything,"

While on the topic, the American begun reminiscing, "Remember the time we ran out of milk and Kai made Kraft Dinner with chocolate milk? That was gross,"

"You know we actually ate that, right?"

"You and Kai did. Ray, me, and Kenny didn't go near that shit," Max visibly shuddered.

"We were high as fuck that day," Tyson opened the door to a local bar and grill and Max swiftly followed, "Hey," He pointed towards the bar area, "Isn't that Kai's dad?"

"He's with some woman," But with a closer look, he was able to distinguish a high school uniform, "She looks kinda young for him..."

"That's Dylan, you idiot," Tyson concluded, "What the hell is going on?"

"You think they..."

Now it was the world champ's turn to give his companion a lame look, "You have a sick mind,"

"With the way you guys all talk about my mom in _front_ of me, I don't blame myself for having a sick mind,"

"Well don't blame me for your mom being a MILF,"

"Tyson, shut up,"

"If you think that's bad, you should hear what Tala and Spencer said about her," Laughing, the hat-clad blader patted the blonde on the shoulder and the two made their way over to the duo-haired man and the cheer captain, "Mr. Hiwatari?"

Dylan and Alden turned in their chair, the former looking nothing less than horrified and the latter immediately getting off his stool to embrace Tyson and then Max, "It's good to see you! How are you?"

"We're good," Max smiled, exchanging glances with the high schooler and then Alden, "Having lunch?"

"Yes, yes, you want to join?"

As Tyson and Alden engaged in a conversation, mainly about how they had been and what they had been up to, Max was pulled aside by the other blonde, "You didn't see anything."

**x x x**

Humming a Kesha song, Mariah stirred the fried rice in the pan with a wooden spoon.

"Mariah?"

The pinkette only rolled her eyes as Lee called her. He could talk to her all he wanted, but she wasn't going to. Men beware, a woman could hold a grudge forever.

"I'm going out for a bit," The main door closing signalled he had left the suite. The others were gone too; Ray had gone to the gym with Kai apparently and Kevin went to get groceries while Gary went for some solo training.

Just as Mariah dropped the diced pineapples into the fried rice, her cell phone called for her attention. It was a message from Tala – or Red Bull, which ever you preferred – and she made a noise of frustration as she checked the message: _when r we talking_.

"Never?" She said out loud to no one in particular before her shoulders slumped. Why did he want to talk anyway? What the heck were they going to say? Was he going to apologize? Was she supposed to apologize? What exactly was talking going to solve? It was better to just leave this kind of a thing alone, wasn't it? Too many questions unanswered, Mariah, instead of replying to his text, called him.

"Hello?"

"What do you need to talk about?" She'd gotten right to the point.

"We have to talk,"

"About what!" While she was snappy...

"About what happened that night," ...he was calm.

"Why?"

"Look, I need to talk to you,"

"Well I'm talking to you right now..." And what a difference it was from the last time they'd spoken on the phone, the last time being more than a year ago and consisting of phone sex.

"It's better to talk in person,"

Mariah sighed, "Fine,"

"When are you free?"

"You can come over for a bit if you want,"

"Uh..."

"No one's home,"

"Oh okay. Now?"

"Yeah and hurry up if you want free lunch,"

"What'd you make?"

"What you like,"

"That rice thing with pineapples?"

"And tomatoes, yes. I'll put some chicken in it for you,"

The way to a man's heart was through food and that was true because he was overjoyed, "I'll be right there!"

As the call ended, Mariah continued to prepare lunch. She estimated it would be complete in the next ten minutes and it would take the redhead about fifteen minutes to arrive, but she was surprised when there was a knock at the door within five minutes. She gaped at the California native as she opened the door, "How'd you get here so fast?" When he shrugged, she pressed on, "Did you get another ticket?"

"No,"

A raised brow and her hands on her hips indicated she didn't believe him, to which he grinned sheepishly and pulled out said speeding ticket from the back of his jean pockets. Sighing, she shook her head, "You'll never learn,"

He seemed unbothered and strolled into the suite, taking off his Abercrombie pullover and throwing it onto to the couch and taking a seat at the kitchen table, "So is it done?"

"A couple more minutes,"

"I'm taking a piss then," He announced and looked around for the washroom until it was finally pointed out by the pinkette. Positive that he was still in there, Mariah looked over her shoulder and glanced at the couch, contemplating with herself, _fighting_ with herself. Pressed for time, she made her move, jogging over to the couch and grabbing the navy pull over and running to her room, hiding it in one of her drawers before making it back to the stove in the nick of time. He took his seat again, "Is it done now?"

She nodded and served the Thai food in two plates along with a spoon, "Be careful, it's hot,"

"So how is everything?" He enquired, running his spoon over the rice and spreading it around the plate to let it cool down faster.

"Good, and you?"

"Same," He pointed at his food with the spoon, "And this is really good,"

She smiled, "Thanks,"

"Is it still only you and Ray that cooks for everyone?"

"Yeah," She chuckled, "But it's okay, I enjoy cooking and so does Ray. Has your cooking improved?"

"Of course,"

"Liar," She'd seen right through him. Too bad she couldn't see through his clothes. She mentally scolded herself for being such a little pervert, but he looked so good that she really couldn't help it.

The real talk hadn't begun until after lunch and they decided to do it in her room – not _do it_ do it... – for comfort's sake.

"So what did you need to talk about?" She leaned against the headboard, a pillow in her lap, while he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No, did you?"

"No, do you plan to?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Glad we're on the same page,"

"So Julia doesn't know?"

He looked at her like she had ten heads, "Hell no,"

"Good. She's a really good friend of mine...and you guys are also..."

"...yeah...it's best if no one really knows about it,"

"I agree,"

"I mean it's not anyone's business to know, we made a mistake, shit happens,"

"Yup..." Though they were talking, there were moments of silences in between where they'd catch each other's gaze, smile awkwardly and then look somewhere else. Having had enough discomfort, Mariah moved the pillow aside and slid across the mattress and also sat on the edge just to signal that the conversation had come to an end and that she'd walk him to the door so he could leave, "So that's all, right?"

He nodded, "I guess,"

"K, well," She shrugged, "I'm not going to tell anyone anything,"

"Thanks,"

"Anytime," Mariah gave him a smile for reassurance. It was in that time that she decided to admire him up close for probably the last time and the one thing she couldn't take her eyes off was _his_ eyes. Yes, many people had blue eyes, but his stood out in particular. Those subtle black flecks gave them so much more depth and dimension. And then there was the limbal ring; there was something oddly intriguing about that thick darker ring around the blue. Not everyone had this rare feature. To see them in such proximity was truly a different experience than to see them from afar or even a picture.

Suddenly something strange was happening. They were coming closer to her. But a careful analysis told her that _she_ was moving closer to _them_. The panic alarm had gone off...but was ignored. Maybe he'd ignored his own panic alarm too – or maybe he didn't even have one – as he, too, leaned in towards her, their lips meeting in the middle.

And then there was no panic.

There was a good feeling.

Cloud 9, 7th heaven, bliss, driving on the west coast with the top down and the sun gleaming with the ocean by your side and your favourite song blaring, getting promoted at work, smoking up with your bestest friends in the whole world talking about random ass shit that didn't make any sense and laughing every five seconds over nothing at all, using only a quarter for a slot machine in Vegas and hitting an unexpected jackpot, playing hard at a club on a Friday night after working hard during the week, dropping 7 grand on a Louis Vuitton and walking around with it like you're the shit, buying your first car, that buzz you get after a few drinks, bumping into your loser ex boyfriend...with your new one, passing your final exam, you take your pick as to what scenario best catered to you for a 'good feeling', but for Mariah, it was familiarity and getting a little taste – _literally_ – of something she couldn't have.

The only way around that was to make this event last for as long as possible. He pulled her close and she took the cue to hop up on his lap. Gentle and affectionate; his technique hadn't changed. Grabbing her butt; clearly her behind was still his favourite part. But when one of his fingers slipped on the underside of her yoga pants in an attempt to pull them down, that panic alarm had gone off again.

Ending the kiss abruptly, the pinkette pushed him slightly and scooted away, "Oh my God! What the fuck are we doing!" She grabbed her hair before her hands fell over her face. He seemed to come to his senses too, eyeing the carpeted ground in silence. Mariah squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was just a dream, but unfortunately it wasn't. There room had become soundless again as they took time to think over what they'd just done before she spoke up again, "We can't do this..."

"I know," He nodded, "Sorry,"

"I think that..." Mariah tried to find the right words, "I think that it's best if we distance ourselves," Pausing, she looked at him, "For Julia's sake,"

"You want to cut each other out of our lives?"

No. But she knew she had to, "I think it would be for the best..."

"Okay," He agreed firmly and got to his feet, "I should go,"

"Yeah..." She led him out of her room and towards the door, but the redhead had stopped midway, his eyes scanning the couch.

"Didn't I leave my hoodie here?"

Mariah bit her bottom lip, regretting her earlier action. She couldn't come clean now; it would be too awkward. And creepy. She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know,"

Tala walked around the couch in search, "I swear I put it here,"

"Maybe you left it in your car,"

Although mildly uncertain, he was quite positive he hadn't left it in the car, "Never mind, it's okay," But he let it go because right now he just needed to get the hell out of here, "Give it to Mathilda if you find it, she can give it to Dylan. So...bye, I guess," He glanced over at her for a final time in conclusion. Taking a deep breath, Tala opened the main door to leave.

Only to find a very confused looking Ray standing there with his key card still held in mid air.

* * *

**TALA/MARIAH. **There was a LOT of information about them (not just about whether they have feelings for each other or not, but like I said, there was a lot of INFORMATION!).

**DYLAN. **MANY things were revealed about her character with the whole Mallory thing. I don't want to give much away, but compare her level of defence for Mallory earlier and now when Tala said something about her. Also, do you think Mallory apologized properly? If yes, then sure, but if you think that it wasn't a proper apology, then why do you think that Dylan would still accept that? Tie this in with what she told Kai in chapter 41 about how she felt about not being able to talk to Mallory, and THEN tie Dylan's reaction to this problem to how Tala reacted to the problem with Julia when she told him not to talk to Mariah...do you see any similarities with how the siblings handle problems?

**RACISM. **Not many of you understood it back then, but the McDonald's scene was about racism. It was why I purposely described the scene using the words AMERICAN and RUSSIAN. Also remember that Dylan had an American flag keychain that was visible to the employee, so he knew she was American.

**ALDEN, DYLAN, AND KAI. **A LOT can be extracted from the tiny conversation about Kai between Alden and Dylan. Just from that one small discussion, you should be able to tell a few things about Dylan's character and Kai's character.

**DYLAN/KAI/HILARY. **Did you notice any differences between Kai/Dylan and between Kai/Hilary? I'm sure you did. This is referring to the last chapter btw! Also notice that when Kai was with Hilary, Dylan had still come to mind.

**BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! **So how many times did I tell you people? :P Tell me what you thought about this chapter and any predictions you might have **AND** tell me which 'good feeling' scenario you were able to relate with the most!

**XOXO TO...**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **Hahaha, I wrote it and then I was like 'Man, that sounds so gay...literally!' so I just had to add in the 'no homo' part lmao. My story has a lot of sexual innuendo, eh? LOL!

**Cursefreedom – **Thanks! I try to make it as real as possible by using situations that I've gone through myself or situations that my friends have gone through! And yes, I know the update for the last chapter was REALLY slow (which is why I updated fast this time :P) and also the last chapter was a filler so...it was kinda boring lol. And more Kai/Dylan coming right up!

**PhoenixxLament – **Yeah lol when I got my dismissal letter, no one was home. I had my things packed and I was seriously considering running the hell away. I only had 10 bucks on me lmao. That day was horrible though...I went out for drinks and ended up telling my parents that way. I cried straight for the next month or so, my dad wasn't really talking to me, I set a bad example for my younger bro, everything was so surreal. I would not wish something like that on even my worst enemy, it was that bad. Education's really big in my family so it was just...I don't even know what to say really lol. And tell your roommate (I mean REALLY tell her...show her this message if you have to) that I flunked out of school by sleeping in. It's a hard habit to break but it really needs to be broken or it can ruin her life. Anyways, beware of more dorm stories! Haha! Trust me, you'll hear – or see :| - a lot of shit on campus! And don't worry! I didn't like the last chapter much either! It really was just a filler to kick off this chapter (and other chapters). Hopefully this one was good! :P And Tala/Mariah Rated R...well it didn't happen this chapter so... :P

**Xxz0eyxx – **TKO means total knock out! In other words, she looked REALLY good! And you nasty woman lol you had me gagging at the incest comment! About you and smoking, as much as I could try to be a role model and tell you it's bad for you...you already know that. I can't make you stop, no one can, it's about living and learning. I had (and still do) some bad habits and people will tell me and I'll be like "yeah, I know", but in the end, I can only stop when I, myself, want to stop. So live and learn!

**Bey-beyfan – **Thank you for saying that Mariah is relatable! I really do want people to be able to relate with at least some characters and situations! Btw, TKO means total knock out meaning looking really good. And I lived with 5 guys for second year university! The seat was ALWAYS up! And they were so dirty :| The bathtub always had hair...and with men, you never know where this hair is from...I KNOW! BARF!

**Norweg91 – **Does Mathilda have ulterior motives? Well, I can't tell you :P BUT, what I will say is that Mathilda and Dylan are friends and if Dylan is planning something, Mathilda will only try to help Dylan...anyways, I'm really glad you picked up on the differences between Kai/Dylan and Kai/Hilary. I mentioned it above too!

**Snuffy – **Everything seems like it can happen in real life b/c...it is based off real life! Lol! All characters are loosely based off real people that I know to give them a real feel and the situations are DEFINITELY real! For example, Tala is based off my brother (SORT of!), Kai is based off some guys that I have dated, Mathilda is based off my best friend, Mallory off my ex best friend, Julia is based off a friend's ex girlfriend, etc! And learn as much as you can, my friend! About girls I mean lol. I try to put in tips as much as I can to help everyone out with real life situations. Anyways, yes! It's cold in Canada already! I live in Toronto btw and I still have tan lines from the heat wave we had back in July (it went up to 50 degrees Celsius...) and now everyone's wearing a jacket and scarves! I wish I could live in Texas lol (a lot of Texans are reading this story!), I hear it's really hot there. How old are you btw?

**EnigmaPhenomenon – **Haha, will Tala and Dylan ever get along? Question of the century! :P

**Bellainucullen – **Np for not reviewing! I know school can be a bitch haha. I'm jealous you got to go to the beach! I love how you were able to pick up on the fact that Kai thought about Dylan even though he was with Hilary! You were one of the only reviewers who was able to do that! I'm also glad that you're asking questions about Dylan, which will all be answered. You're on the right track though!

**Sarcasm – **Don't come to Canada! At least not now haha we're just getting into fall so it's cold :( Where are you from? Also I like how you realized that even though Kai was with Hilary, Dylan popped into his head!


	48. Chapter Forty Eight

**WARNING! **I've given many warnings; this story will have mature themes, sexual content, alcohol use, drug use, coarse language, and blah, blah, blah. Please read at your discretion.

* * *

** CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

Looking at the curling iron as if it was a foreign object, Mathilda plugged it into the outlet in the bathroom. When it heated up, she stared at the mirror with a confused expression as she grabbed a piece of her hair and tried to, well, curl it. Unclamping the curling iron, the strangely coiled hair fell over one eye. Unhappy with the result, she picked a different section of her hair to try again, but before she could, there was a frantic knock on the door.

Leaving the styling tool on the counter, Mathilda made her way over to the main room and opened the door, both her baby pink brows raising in surprise as she did, "Shouldn't you be at school?"

The question was ignored as Dylan invited herself inside, though Mathilda could guess that she was skipping, "Oh my Lord," Her school bag automatically slid off her shoulder and was carelessly dropped onto the floor, "You won't believe what the fuck just happened,"

Mathilda closed and locked the door, "Tell me,"

"Your hair looks retarded,"

The hedgehog's cheeks turned a rosy colour, "I was trying to curl them..."

The cheer captain rolled her eyes and pulled the beyblader into the washroom, "So I was getting lunch with the team and Kai's dad shows up out of, like, nowhere,"

"Again?" Mathilda stood in front of the mirror again while Dylan took over the curling iron.

"Yeah," She paused as she held some of Mathilda's pink hair and looped it around the barrel, holding it in place for about five seconds and then letting go, a perfect wave resulting from it. The smaller girl smiled in approval and Dylan continued playing hairdresser and telling the story, "And obvs all he wants to talk about is Kai, but anyways, that's not even it. _While_ I'm having lunch with his dad, Tyson and Max come,"

Mathilda gasped, "Did they see you?"

"Yeah and I was like what the fuck because these are Kai's best friends and okay, fine, if they tell Kai it's not like he can do anything to me except be mad and maybe not even talk to me, I don't know, but Tala's my brother," And that was the difference in power between Tala and Kai, a brother and a 'friend' respectively; there were things a friend could do that a brother couldn't and there were things a brother could do that a friend couldn't, such as... "He can kick my ass,"

"What happened when they saw you?"

"Tyson was busy talking to his dad and I told Max to keep his mouth shut so he'll probably pass that over to Tyson," Half of Mathilda's hair had already been curled by now, "And like I said, these are Kai's friends and I'm a girl they don't know; who's side do you think they're gonna pick?" The blonde sighed, "Max thought I was dating his dad,"

"Oh, gross! What the hell? What's wrong with him?"

"Apparently a lot,"

"I think you should tell Kai. I know that sounds crazy, but if you think Tyson and Max will tell him, and I think there's a good chance that they might, it's best if Kai here's it from you first,"

"But he'll be so mad,"

"He'll be way more mad if Tyson and Max tell him first,"

The blonde made a noise of frustration, "Kai can really be an asshole sometimes,"

Mathilda chuckled as she reminisced of Kai's history with the Bladebreakers, BEGA, and everything else in general, "This is nothing."

**x x x**

Mariah was absolutely mortified as Ray stood outside their suite, and Tala on the inside, the two of them separated by the doorframe.

"Uh..." Ray smiled awkwardly, "Sup?"

"Not much," The redhead shrugged, "Yourself?"

That was the thing about men. Whether they were strangers, whether they weren't on good terms, whether they had beef in the past, whether whatever, somehow men always managed to keep cool. This situation would have been entirely different if Mariah was the guy and Tala and Ray were the chicks.

What an odd image.

Anyways.

"I'm good, I'm good," Ray nodded, dropping his gym bag on the floor and eyeing Mariah for some sort of an explanation, "So..."

"So yeah, Tala was just here looking at my beyblade because remember that problem I had with it?"

Ray bobbed his head up and down, but the smirk on his face was hint enough that he didn't buy the story and his laughter following was a dead giveaway. Tala and Mariah subtly exchanged glances, and in understanding that to try to lie his way out of this one with Ray would be a foolish move, the redhead went with the risk of being honest, "Look man, if Lee finds out I was here..." But that was all he had to say for mutual understanding.

"Hey," Ray raised both his arms slightly, "I didn't see nothing, bro,"

"Yeah?"

"What are we even talking about?" The ex Bladebreaker picked his bag off the ground and strolled into the suite, heading towards the kitchen to fetch himself a glass of water and after gulping half of it down, he looked over at Tala, "So you play pool?"

"Here and there,"

"We should play some time,"

"Sure,"

"Let me know when you're free," Ray paused to finish the remainder of his water before pulling out his phone, "Give me your number," And as numbers were exchanged, Mariah could only gawk at the two in utter confusion; had Ray and Tala just become friends? In _two_ seconds? "Alright so I'll let you know the next time we head out,"

Tala nodded, "Cool," With that, he set foot from the White Tigers' suite and Mariah quickly closed the door behind him.

"So, fixing your beybalde, huh?" Ray began as he made himself a sandwich.

"Yeah," At this, Ray only rolled his eyes and Mariah hoisted herself up on the kitchen counter, "He came by to talk about the other night..."

"And?"

"And nothing,"

"Nothing always means something,"

Her shoulders slumped as she confessed, "We might have kissed..." As Ray chuckled and opened his mouth to comment, she quickly cut him off, "Okay, this isn't funny. I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation here,"

"Actually I do," He took a bite out of his sandwich and pointed a finger at her, "You still like him,"

"No! What the heck? Why would I still like him? If I did, I wouldn't have told him that we shouldn't talk anymore,"

"That's exactly why you told him why you two shouldn't talk anymore, because your friendship with Julia is threatened,"

"Stop putting words in my mouth,"

"Let me ask you something: did Julia ever talk it over with you before she went after Tala?"

"No, but I'm okay with it,"

He looked towards the ceiling as if to do some calculations, "So let me get this straight: you and Julia are best friends, you and Tala have history, and now your best friend – who didn't even run it by you – is seeing the same guy and you're completely okay with it?"

"...yeah,"

And then came Ray's conclusion, "No you're not,"

"I am! Why wouldn't I be? I mean it's not like Tala and I were ever even serious,"

"You're okay with it for social reasons because you don't want drama with the other girls, but I don't think you're _actually_ okay with it,"

"Honestly, I don't mind if Julia is seeing him," Mariah picked at her cuticles, "Besides, she seems to really like him," Jumping off the counter, she headed for the door, "Anyways, whatever, I'm going out for a bit,"

As to where she was going, who knew. With a pair of flip flops on her feet and without a jacket, she could only stay indoors. She walked around the hotel aimlessly hoping not to bump into any of the girls. It was an odd thing to hope for considering most of the girls were her companions. Well, maybe except for Emily. All she wished for right now was some alone time in which she could clear her head. Innocently messing around with Tala the first time was somewhat forgivable since they were both under the influence of alcohol, but this time around they were entirely sober. The fact that they were talking about Julia only added to the irony of the situation.

What had she done?

The guilt panged like a sledgehammer, the horrible feeling was indescribable, and unable to share any of this with any of her friends, especially Hilary, made matters so much worse.

She needed to tell someone, she _wanted_ to tell someone. These things were things you just had to share for the sake of getting a load off your chest. And no, not that kind of 'load' off your chest. The number of readers corrupted by this story will probably end up on CNN one day...

**x x x**

_Faculty of Engineering_

_High school prerequisites: Calculus, Geometry, Physics, Chemistry, English, and three other courses_

_Admission requirements: Cumulative average of 87 percent in high school prerequisites_

Contemplating his many options, Kai stared at the webpage. He'd had all the requirements – and more – of course, but still, to apply or not to apply was the question. He knew if he wanted to pursue further education, he'd really need to make a move considering he'd already graduated from high school a little over two years ago. The cursor hovered over the 'APPLY' button and just as he let out a sigh, he heard the sound of his bedroom door opening. He lowered his headphones and let them hang off his neck, putting the Jay-Z and Kanye track on pause as he gave Dylan a threatening look as if to tell her to get lost.

Too bad his threats were empty. As she came closer he quickly put his laptop away, and for good reason too because a split second later, he was tackled onto the mattress on his back, "1, 2, 3," She counted with a grin as she tackled him down, "You lose,"

He raised a brow and in understanding the game, he made his move too. Alas, it wasn't as effortless as he'd assumed. The objective was to get her on her back, but she quickly turned to lay on her front and grabbed onto the edge of the bed to prevent him from turning her over.

"Ha, ha, loser," She teased just to rile him up a little more and it seemed to have worked as he decided on a different tactic to gain a win.

He lifted her tank top only slightly and as his fingers came into contact with her sides, she began laughing uncontrollably just as he suspected she would. Her hands withdrew from the mattress in an attempt to stop him from tickling her, but it was too late. He flipped her over onto her back and smirked in victory, "You were saying,"

"This doesn't count," The cheerleader claimed, "You cheated,"

"As did you; you're not supposed to hold onto anyth -"

"Shut up, cheater,"

Kai frowned at the label, "Fine," He released her, letting her sit up, "Round 2,"

So the wrestling commenced once again, this time with some rules actually intact. It was entirely playful of course, nothing rough, but he was mildly surprised by her power. He had a height and weight advantage over her and she wasn't nearly as strong as him obviously, but she was stronger than what he'd anticipated for such a skinny girl and her tactics were impressive. Perhaps growing up with a brother – especially a big bro like Tala – really did 'toughen' her up. Whatever it was, the play fight was rather thrilling for Kai. And for good reason: the light-hearted competition, the humour associated with it, and an excuse to feel each other up – who _wouldn't _be thrilled?

After some struggle, he managed to pin her down again, "Do I win?"

As she laughed and resisted, he tried to force her into submission by sitting astride her holding both of her hands above her head. Nonetheless, she'd eventually given up after tiring herself out. Himself also exhausted, he settled down and lay over her intuitively, his nose lingering close to her ear and neck. And that's when he smelled it again. Tangerines, raspberries, a slight hint of cotton candy maybe, some vanilla, and other sweet and fruity notes he couldn't quite put his finger on. The scent was so subtle that it took him to get this close to her just to be able to smell it. And fuck, she smelled so good, kind of like something that he'd enjoy eating. The fragrance combined with her fingers grazing through his bed head hair was the ultimate blend of relaxation. He practically fell asleep.

Almost.

"Kai..."

"What,"

"I have to talk to you about something,"

"Talk,"

"But if I tell you, you can't get mad,"

His eyes opened and he lifted his head up slightly. The last time their conversation started with 'you can't get mad' was a conversation about his father. "What is it?"

"So..."

"Just tell me," The phoenix demanded impatiently.

She opened her mouth to spill the beans, but was interrupted as the doorbell was heard throughout the entire house followed by Tyson's voice as someone opened the door downstairs.

* * *

**KAI/DYLAN. **Did you notice anything about them? And don't just tell me 'oh Kai likes her' or something like that. Tell me WHY you think Kai likes her (if he even does). What do you notice about Kai/Dylan and Kai/Hilary? Any similarities or differences? Bring your own relationships into play; how far would you go with a guy and why? WHEN do you let yourself go far with a guy?

**TALA/MARIAH. **This goes back to the last chapter actually, but why do you think Mariah 'stole' Tala's hoodie?

**TALA AND DYLAN. **There was a subtle portrayal of their sibling relationship; did you spot it? Do you have any comments about it?

**STORY HINT! **READ SALINAH2'S REVIEW FOR THE LAST CHAPTER!

**QUESTION. **Do you wrestle with your boyfriend or girlfriend? Lol if so, who wins?

**THANK YOU!**

**Sarcasm – **I'm also Muslim! Haha. And where you live is so cool haha b/c yeah it IS really cold here! And I'm a skinny little stick so I get cold REALLY fast. What is UAE like? Do you have to wear a head covering? Is it mandatory there? Tell me everything!

**Xxz0eyxx – **Yes! Max and Julia did fuck! Wow, how unsubtle of me. Anyways, this was revealed a few chapters back actually when Ray told Mariah about it. Remember he said it happened on a night the Bladebreakers went out meaning Tyson, Kai, and Kenny MOST likely know about it too, given that Ray knows about it. ANNND Tyson mentioned it last chapter also.

**50525 – **YOU TEACH DANCE? NO WAY! SERIOUSLY? IN TORONTO? WHERE? Omg! I've actually been looking for dance classes haha! And other classes too lol. But oh wow, this is so cool! Are you still in school? As for me, I'm still in school doing accounting hoping to do my CA. Let's see how that goes! Haha.

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **A few chapters back where Dylan and Alden went out and he was teaching her how to use chopsticks, that day Tala was ABOUT to call Luka, remember? He was JUST about to press dial when Dylan walked home so he didn't get the chance to! And yes, Alden's English is a bit, um, blah. It was written that way on purpose, including the dialogues of Luka, Vika, and Edward. Their English is understandable, but their grammar is sometimes incorrect and of course they have an accent when they speak. That Tyson and Max (and Ray and Kenny too, perhaps the Blitzkrieg Boys also) know Kai's dad would be a good assumption.

**Bellainucullen – **Dylan is Tala's past and Tala is Dylan's future...that was written b/c when I look at myself and my younger bro, it's like that. I'm 5 years into my brother's future and he's 5 years into my past. You're the only reader that picked up on that!

**Bey-beyfan – **Ooh drama! I wanna hear! LOL! And yes, living with 5 guys was torture :| Well actually, I lived with girls first year and THAT was torture! OMG! DRAMA EVERY FUCKING DAY! Like, you really don't understand. It was REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. The police were called! Living with guys was better in terms of drama b/c there was NONE lol and they were REALLY good guys so I'm lucky. The only complain I have is the cleanliness issue...omg...there was hair in the bathtub and with guys, you just don't know where that hair is coming from :S And shit stains in the toilet...

**Peroxxide Priincess**

**Snuffy – **Don't make me jealous. I'd love to live there :( I've been wearing a wool jacket since September! AND A SCARF! And yeah my bro is pretty smart with computers and all, he's 17 so you two would probably get along! But he's annoying sometimes...he finishes ALL the food in the house! Anyways, the part in your review where you told me you're Albino but African American intrigued me! What do you mean by that? Like, what do you look like? This is really interesting! Haha!

**Chocolatexloverx16 – **I'm glad at least someone reads my notes! LOL! I was actually going to write something about Plan B (yes...the pill...) b/c I kinda had a freak out over it haha but the problem has been solved! Now I just need to do a pregnancy test :| Yeah...I don't know...Anyways! About Dylan getting a job...BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! And yeah, lots of drama in the life! Haha, the pregnancy scare being the big one obviously lol. What about you?

**SalinaH2 – **Man, I always love reading your reviews! Haha, I get so excited by the length of it! I REALLY enjoy reading them! And I told everyone to read your review AGAIN! Honestly lol you're too smart...must be the Bollywood movies LOL! LMAO! Couldn't resist man lol you know Bollywood movies are drama central haha! We've been taught to think from early on LOL!

**Zeratheliger – **ALWAYS REMEMBER TALA'S BEYBLADE! That's all I'll say :P And your analysis is VERY good! I can't tell you which ones are right and wrong though! Haha. But yeah, always think about the story! You're doing really well! Btw, are you back in America now?

**Cursefreedom – **Well, here comes Tyson! Let's see what he's here for!

**Carlie Davidson – **NEW READER! Yay! Welcome :) I'm so glad you like the story so far! You read so fast lol


	49. Chapter Forty Nine

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

Vigorously stirring the honey into her tea, Hilary tossed the spoon into the sink before taking a sip of her drink. She leaned by the kitchen counter, the cup in one hand and a borrowed book from Emily in the other. The type of stories Emily was into was much different than what Hilary was into; where the ginger preferred mysteries and thrillers, the brunette enjoyed more of an emotional and touching read.

Hearing footstep behind her, Hilary whirled around. With a jacket on, it was obvious Tyson was about to head outside. She lowered the book, "Where are you off to?"

"To Dylan's," He replied as he slipped into his shoes, "I'm taking her out for dinner,"

There was subtle shock but Hilary quickly regained her composure, "Oh...okay. Have fun,"

"Yeah..." Tyson glanced over at her, "So how's everything with you and the sourpuss?"

"You mean Kai?"

"Well that's what he is,"

Hilary rolled her eyes but abruptly stopped the action midway, "Wait," Her brows creased, "Why are you specifically asking about Kai? Why not Ray or Max or someone else?"

"It was just a question, Hil-arious,"

"I don't think it was, Tyson. It seems like you're implying something,"

"What if I am?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kai's a great guy,"

"What the hell?"

"Anyways, I'm late!"

"Wait!" The brunette quickly chased as the world champ exited the suite, "Tyson!"

The bluenette grinned as he was saved by the bell that was the elevator, "Peace homie!" And as the doors slid to a close, Tyson sighed in relief. Making his way to the hotel drive-in, he raised his hand to signal his need for a taxi. The ride to the Blitzkrieg Boys' house was fairly short. And talkative. "Wait here," He paid the driver half the fare, "I'm just picking someone up," With that, he withdrew from the car and headed to the front door. He rang the bell once, twice, thrice before the door was finally opened by a smirking Tala.

"Can we help you, dick?"

"Good to see you too," Tyson rolled his eyes, "Anyways, I'm here for Dylan,"

"She's not home, dick,"

"Stop saying dick!"

"Dick,"

He gave the redhead a pathetic look, "Man, no wonder Mariah got rid of you,"

The comment appeared to have struck a nerve for Tala as he made a grab for Tyson. Luckily, Bryan had come to the rescue, dragging the redhead away from the potential victim. The bluenette quickly readjusted his cap before catching a glimpse of his 'date' scurrying down the stairs.

The blonde paused momentarily to look over at Bryan and Tala and upon realizing that they were much too busy yelling at each other, she continued towards Tyson and pushed him further onto the porch. She stepped out also, closing the door behind her for privacy, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you out,"

"You came to tell Kai,"

"Actually, I came here to talk to you _about_ Kai. What's going on with you and his dad?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not fucking his dad,"

"Do I look as dumb as Max and every other fair haired idiot out there to you?" He shifted his gaze to her hair, "No offence,"

"K, like I get you're Kai's _buddy_ and whatevs, but if you're here to tell him about what you saw today then save your breath because I plan on telling him myself,"

"While I save my breath I suggest you save yourself the trouble of telling him," And as Dylan raised a brow, Tyson jabbed a thumb behind him, "Look, the taxi's waiting. Get ready, let's talk over dinner,"

She gave him a hard stare before turning to her heel, "Wait here,"

The wait was not long, about ten minutes if Tyson really had to guess. She hadn't gone all out dressing up, just some black skinnies, a cute top, and hoop earrings as accessory. It didn't make much difference however; she'd still be a looker with a paper bag on. He led her to the taxi letting her inside first where even the driver kept stealing glances at her from his rear-view mirror, "You into Japanese?"

"I never really tried it so I don't know,"

"Let's find out then," The chosen restaurant was small, its' clichéd decorations pertaining to the Japanese culture. They were seated at a table for two with menus handed over, "I think you'll like the California roll," He advised, "It's pretty popular especially for beginners,"

"What's in it?"

"Avocado, crab meat -"

"Ew, what the fuck? Crab?"

"It probably won't be real crab meat. They use a different type of fish, the Alaskan Pollock, and then they make it look like crab,"

He aided her with further selections before the menus were taken away and their orders were served. Having lived in Japan for most of his life, everything in the restaurant was customary for Tyson. For Dylan, not so much. He watched her struggle with the chopsticks, first with how to hold them and then with how to use them.

"You don't have to use chopsticks," Tyson begun, "I can ask them to give you something else or you can even just use your hands,"

"Alden said to hold them like this," She tried to demonstrate with a confused face.

His brows rose in surprise as he provided a calculate assumption, "You've gone out with him more than once?"

"Look, I know you're trying to get information out of me to tell Kai,"

"No, I'm trying to see if you're trying to screw Kai over," He gave her a momentary glance before continuing with his dinner, "Because if that's the case I'm not letting it happen," As Dylan chuckled in disbelief, all while still having trouble with the chopsticks, Tyson kept his composure, "A random girl moves here from California claiming to be Tala's sister that no one really knew about and starts hanging out with someone's father who she doesn't even know and then tries to hide it. Both you and your so called brother are shady; I wouldn't be surprised if he's part of whatever the hell is happening either,"

"Now I know it's difficult to believe Tala and I are related, but don't hate the bro just because he outshines your bro,"

"Hiro surpasses your 'bro' on every level so keep wishing,"

"That's disgusting," She gagged, "Why would I _wish_ for the orangutan to be better than this Harry or anyone else for that matter?"

"It's Hiro,"

"Yeah, Hiro. Man, he really needs to step his game up or people won't even know who he is and that's really horrifying if you ask me because Tala's already on Wikipedia,"

"You know," Tyson smirked, "You're actually pretty clever," He let out a friendly laugh, one that overrode his former judgement of her, "Look, all jokes aside, unless I feel that there's any kind of harm in it, I'm not going to tell Kai anything,"

"What about Max?"

"He won't say a word, but in order for both of us to keep our mouth shut, you need to spill,"

"There's nothing to 'spill'. Alden wants to talk to Kai. I don't know what about but it seems important and Kai won't go within a 100 miles radius of his dad. I don't even know why his dad keeps coming to me. Maybe it's because no one else is willing to talk to him. When he comes over, everyone pretends not to be home or they lie and say Kai's not home,"

"Hmm," Tyson fiddled with the napkin on the table, "Hey, has Alden ever mentioned anything to you about Kai's mom?"

"Yeah, she's dead,"

"Did he say that?"

"Yeah,"

"He used the word 'dead'?"

"He said something like she's in a better place or whatevs, which is pretty self explanatory,"

"Funny thing, Alden _never_ mentions the word 'dead' or 'death',"

"Probably because he really loved her and doesn't feel comfortable talking about her death,"

"I don't buy that but sure. Anyways, my guess is all this has something to do with the Hiwatari wealth. Maybe he's going bankrupt and he needs Kai's help,"

"What does his dad do?"

"He's in the oil industry, so you know, big bucks right there,"

"Why is Kai so mad at him?"

"It's just a lot of internal family problems. Alden had Kai when he was 16 so that was a problem on its own. Then there was his grandpa, Voltaire. To be honest, I don't know the whole of it. I don't think anyone does. Anyways, try this," He pushed a plate towards her, "It's called sashimi,"

"...is that raw fish?"

"Believe me, it's really good. It doesn't taste weird or anything, try it,"

"Yeah, that's not happening," She pushed the plate back in revulsion before propping an elbow up on the table with her head resting on her palm, "So how long have you been beyblading?"

"Since I was 6 or 7; Hiro taught me,"

"Must be a hell of a brother for you to hold the winning title for the past 10 million years,"

"Yeah well..." The champ laughed and pulled Dragoon out onto the palm of his hand, "I don't know how much longer my winning streak can last considering the whole world has probably analyzed and reanalyzed my every move and know it like the back of their hand. I feel like my beyblade's kinda wearing out too. Even Kenny said he's noticed its' been losing momentum," Suddenly his beyblade was snatched out of his hand, "Huh?"

Tyson confusedly watched the cheerleader pry his beyblade open with a mini screwdriver attached to her keychain and fiddle with the parts inside.

"I need a pencil," She muttered before raising her hand to call over their server to ask for, well, a pencil. The small cylindrical metal piece holding the wooden pencil and the eraser on top together was separated and then flattened, "Problem..." The blonde _very _carefully placed the piece of adjusted metal into the beyblade near the engine gear and then put the pieces all back together, handing it over to Tyson, "Solved."

**x x x**

Sprawled on her mattress, Mariah lay on her tummy with her chin resting on the pillow. The TV in her room was turned on but she hadn't given it any attention. Instead, she had her phone in her hands and she subconsciously reread some of her old text messages. The ones with Hilary were interesting and mostly about Tyson. And Robert. Ew. The ones with Salima were perverted. The ones with Miriam were short and to the point. Then there were the ones with Tala. She sighed and her head fell to the side as she read over their previous texts. The nature of their messages seemed to be everything combined: interesting, perverted, and sometimes if need be, to the point.

It was as if his texts were all she had left of him. Not that she was upset about it or anything. Well, maybe a little. After all, it was always hard to cut off all communication with a friend. Speaking of friends, was he _even_ a friend? The whole reason they'd referred to each other as friends was because it wasn't as if they could just go around saying 'yeah we fucked, bitch so what'. That would be highly inappropriate and wouldn't sit very well with people. But if that friend label was put for just social purposes...then what really were they?

The matter upsetting her, she turned off the television and stepped away from her mattress. Heading out of her room, she ultimately made an exit from the White Tigers' suite. Once in the corridors however, she was unsure where to go. Going to Hilary's wouldn't help; she'd be able to tell that something was off immediately and pester her to 'spill the beans'. As for Julia...Mariah just didn't feel like seeing her right now.

After a few minutes of self-debate, the pinkette found herself at the bar in the lobby with a copy of the latest issue of Vogue opened up to a page on the counter. No drink was ordered, at least not an alcoholic one anyway. She was halfway through an article when she felt someone tug at her hair from behind. Glancing over her shoulder upon reflex, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight of Mathilda.

Or what used to be Mathilda. Bouncy wavy hair, hoop earrings, dolled up lashes, a coat of lip gloss, and then there were her clothes. Her plain choices, usually consisting of jeans or track pants and a shirt, had been exchanged for a fitted white racer back tank top, a coloured bra slightly visible from underneath, and some tiny loungewear shorts in grey.

Even though she'd taken a seat on the empty stool next to her and even greeted her, Mariah was far too busy observing, "You look...different,"

"Do you like it?"

"You look really good," _Too_ good. Who would have thought quiet and shy Mathilda could be turned into such a babe? The makeover _easily _catapulted the hedgehog into ranks higher than that of most of the BBA girls when it came to looks.

Mathilda chuckled and purchased herself a bottled water, "So what's up? How's everything with Tala? Did you end up talking to him?"

Mariah grimaced. The whole point of coming here was to forget about him. "Um," She closed the magazine, "Not really,"

"Liar," Was it that obvious? Mathilda grinned, her interest in the matter more obvious than the mole on the bartender's face, "You know you can tell me, right?"

With a sigh, she made the confession, "We talked a little bit,"

"So what did he want to talk about so badly?"

"Just about that night. We've both decided that what happened that day was a mistake and mistakes happen and that doesn't mean we have to go around telling everyone about it. Anyways, can we not talk about Tala anymore? Please,"

"You seem really upset," Mathilda unscrewed the cap off her water bottle.

"It's just..." She paused as she fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt; these were personal things about her and Tala that were not meant to be publicized, especially not when he was now seeing one of her closest friends, "Never mind,"

"Tell me," Mathilda urged, "Sometimes it helps to talk,"

That was the thing. Women _loved _to talk – particularly about men – and Mariah desperately wanted to tell someone. It was not for the high that females got out of gossiping, but because she really wanted to spill her guts to _someone_. She wanted to see the other person's reaction and hear their opinion. She couldn't tell her own friends for fear of judgement and drama getting way out of hand. She couldn't tell Kevin or Gary because Kevin was a 16 year old virgin that didn't know a thing about the blending of opposite sexes and Gary only cared about steak and mashed potatoes. She wasn't talking to her own brother, but even if she was, she could never talk to Lee about Tala. On the other hand, she could talk to Ray about anything and everything but Ray was a guy and sometimes it just wasn't the same.

But...what about Mathilda? They weren't close and this year's tournament was probably the most they'd spoken to each other. She wasn't close to the other girls of the BBA and given all the details of Mariah's life that Mathilda had suddenly come to know, Mariah decided it was harmless. "Well, it's just that now he's kinda dating Julia and all and..." She shrugged, not sure what to say, "I don't know,"

"It upsets you?"

"Well...kind of, but not really. It's a little complicated. When I was seeing him, it didn't look like he wanted to get into an actual relationship but he seems fine when it comes to Julia,"

"He's not in a relationship with Julia either,"

"They're dating,"

"...weren't you guys dating too?"

"We were, well, you know," Mariah let out a deep breath, her bangs wavering the process, "I don't know,"

"So then...what did you guys do?"

Mariah didn't need to be a genius to know what Mathilda was trying to get at, and it was an entirely normal thing to be curious about it, "Obviously we had sex if that's what you mean," The White Tiger rolled her eyes, "I don't go around saying it out loud but I don't get what else people would expect,"

Mathilda gasped and grinned at the same time, the news – or gossip – seeming to have excited her, "You guys did it?"

"Well what else would we do?" Mariah practically duh-ed. Being 19, sex wasn't that big of a deal to her. That was not to say her legs would magically split open at the presence of any man, but the topic of sex and anything related didn't faze her anymore; she was over the innocent Church-girl phase. But Mathilda was not; given their age difference and the fact that Mathilda really _was_ an innocent girl, she could see why it was more of news to her.

"You guys must have been really close then,"

"You could say that,"

"But you guys weren't in a relationship?"

"No. I don't think so. We never really talked about it, but I remember the one time when I did bring it up, he got really mad and we had this huge fight and everything. Don't ask me why, I don't know why. That's why I said I don't think he's a relationship kind of guy. He wanted to keep everything a secret, like every time we went out and stuff. I told Hilary and them obviously, I mean I don't get how I'm supposed to keep a guy a secret from my own friends especially when I'm spending more than half my time with him. Lee heard from word-of-mouth and asked me about it one day and when I told him the truth he went ballistic and then Tala got mad at me for telling Lee. It was just this big mess,"

"That's really..."

"Confusing," Mariah finished for Mathilda, "I know. That's why when people ask me what we were I don't know what to say. We were never officially in a relationship but we did everything a couple would do. At least I did; I feel like he just treated me like his mistress or something, like he was embarrassed to be seen in public with me. Hey, don't tell anyone any of this please. I haven't even talked to Hilary and Julia and the other girls about it,"

Offering Mariah a hug, Mathilda smiled, "I won't tell anyone anything."

**x x x**

"I have to tell you something,"

"Hold on, I just got home," The cheer captain strolled into washroom with the Blackberry glued to her ears, shoving out an unwanted Ian out of there who seemed to be popping a pimple in front of the mirror. Slamming the door closed and locking it, she took a seat on the lidded toilet seat, "Alright, what's up?"

"Major _Molly_ and _Taylor_ news."

**x x x**

As the suite door opened, Kenny turned his head away from his laptop and looked over his shoulder, "Oh, you're back Tyson,"

"Yup," He threw his jacket over to one of the couches, "Hey Chief, I need a favour,"

"Name it,"

"I'll need Daichi too,"

"Not interested in a threesome," Said redhead walked into the main room with a glass of milk in hand.

"Like I'd ever include _you_ in a threesome," Tyson rolled her eyes, "Anyways, I want a quick battle with you, and Kenny I need you to read my blade,"

"Why?" The brunette made a face, "I haven't made any new adjustments or upgrades to your beyblade yet, Tyson,"

"Downstairs training room," Tyson had already began walking towards the main door, "Now,"

Kenny and Daichi exchanged glances and after shrugging, they followed the world champ. They entered the hotel's training facility, which was nothing compared to the local recreation center they usually trained in; that was where everyone trained in. Nonetheless, this would do for now.

Daichi and Tyson both readied their beyblades and by habit, they'd both had an egotistical grin on their face. "You guys ready?" Kenny eyed each blader and after counting them down, the friendly match – or as friendly as it could get between the world champion and his pretty evenly match partner – commenced.

Both Daichi and Kenny had noticed a difference immediately. Or better yet, a major improvement. Tearing his gaze off the battle, Kenny looked at the statistics on his screen only for his eyes, which weren't even visible, to widen, "Holy shit, Tyson!" It was as if he was unable to make up his mind on whether to watch the incredible match or the unbelievable readings on his laptop, "What did you do to your beyblade!"

Forfeiting the battle, Tyson only smirked as he caught Dragoon in midair.

* * *

**D R A M A IN MY LIFE!** The entire month of October has been utter shit for me...and it's still going. That's why my updates have been slow.

1) **PREGNANCY SCARE – **I had one of the biggest pregnancy scares in October. I didn't go to school for two weeks b/c I was terrified. I took Plan B but took it 3 days late. The test was negative :)

2) **BOYFRIEND'S BIRTHDAY – **I was planning a surprise party for my boyfriend (we don't know if we are back together but for simplicity's sake, I will refer to him as a BF) and some people can't keep their mouth shut and my boyfriend found out. He didn't want the party and made me cancel it.

3) **BOYFRIEND'S FRIEND – **This guy is fucked up. He's trying to get me and my boyfriend to break up b/c he needs a single wingman and needs to get his dick sucked. He's telling me bullshit about my boyfriend and then goes to my boyfriend and tells him bullshit about me and then me and my boyfriend fight. I asked him to help me plan the birthday party and when it was cancelled, he went behind my back and planned something else for him and invited all these people and didn't tell me about it.

4) **THE OTHER GUY – **I'm secretly seeing another guy. I'm always secretly seeing another guy b/c I can't fucking trust my boyfriend...but I don't wanna breakup either. But I don't like this other guy, he's too clingy and I've told him to GTFO but he's blowing up my phone with calls and texts. He won't leave me the fuck alone. And for anyone wondering, no, I'm not having sex with other guys. These are purely dinner and movie dates.

5) **PARENTS FIGHTING OVER OTHER WOMAN – **My dad's a bit of a flirt (my dad's entire fam is and apparently I'm like that too...but I flirt unintentionally, I don't mean to do it) and I guess he was a bit too 'nice' with another woman and now my mom's mad and my parents are fighting. My parents always fight over other women.

6) **SCHOOL AND WORK – **I've just been so fucking stressed out with everything that my performance and school and work have been crap. I'm on the verge of getting fired and I'm flunking a course right now and I can't afford either event to happen.

7) **POTENTIAL BREAKUP – **With all the drama going on, the BF is like "oh, we shouldn't talk to each other" blah, blah, blah, and I know that's the best thing to do too but I'd rather be temporarily happy than breakup now and be an emotional train wreck right before exams.

8) **COUSIN'S WEDDING –** My cousin got married and during all the ceremonies and shit, she didn't involve me at all. There were rumours that she has something against me and didn't want me part of the wedding and I didn't believe it until she actually didn't involve me in it. Nobody at the wedding even knew we were related (we are first cousins by the way); it's like she was trying to keep me a secret. She didn't even introduce me to her boyfriend/fiancé/husband. It was so hurtful I came home after the wedding crying. Her birthday was on November 17th and she threw a party and invited everyone...except me. I'm tired of being confused by her actions so I just fucking cut her out of my life.

**THANKS TO...**

**Snuffy – **I hate the cold. Believe me, it's actually annoying. During the summer you can just wake up and head outside in whatever the hell you slept in the night before (well, not always lol) but in the winter you don't even wanna get out of bed b/c it's SO cold outside your blanket. I have a portable heater...I even take it with me in the washroom!

**Sarcasm – **You have some really good guesses about the story! About your views on the hijab and burqa, mine are pretty much the same. I just find that some people REALLY take Islam way out of context. My boyfriend is Indian but was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and his family REALLY takes the religion out of context. I find that they add their own fucked up shit into it too. Apparently I'm a slut according to his mom and sisters b/c I wear lip gloss. Anyways, are women allowed to drive in UAE?

**Darial Kuznetsova**

**Carlie Davidson – **I'm not too sure how many chapters this will be lol! I know it's getting pretty long haha!

**Paperplanesxx – **I was born and raised in Canada but my parents are from Bangladesh. We are Muslim but unfortunately I was not taught anything about Islam. I don't know how to read Arabic, read the Quran, know any verses from there, I don't even know how to pray lol. Nonetheless, I feel that this may have worked slightly to my advantage because growing up my parents really emphasized on the foundations of a religion: don't lie, don't steal, always have a clean heart. I find that a lot – not all, but a lot – of people who are "religious" aren't very honest/good people. Some people are absolute saints though and that's always nice to see. But anyways, I do know a few things. InshAllah translated means God willing. It's another way of saying 'hopefully'. For example: I hope I pass my exam. Translation: I will pass my exam, InshAllah. How do you feel about your aunt converting? That's pretty interesting to hear! Does she wear a scarf also? What have you learned about the religion so far lol.

**Bey-beyfan – **Brooklyn will surely be back! As for my favourite character in Beyblade haha, in the beginning it was Tyson and now it's a slew of them really. Kai and Tala are pretty cool, probably b/c they're so fucked up in the show LOL! I really do like Mathilda as a character; she's the only girl that I really like from the show! As for sports, I briefly played field hockey in high school and then I quit when I realized it was interfering with my school work. I didn't join anything in university. Right now I'm studying accounting! Haha. What about you?

**Xxz0eyxx – **Does camp mean gay?

**Country-grl20**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan – **Your review was short but perfect! You definitely understood the subtle Tala and Dylan thing! Nobody else did lol.

**50525 – **Wow, all over the world eh? Lucky you lol I've never been out of the country. I don't even have a passport! Anyways, I'm doing accounting; I used to go to university but got dismissed so now I'm in college. If my grades in college are good then I can go back to university which is the plan b/c I wanna do my CA!

**Meh – **It was snowing a few days ago! Very lightly though lol.

**Bellainucullen**

**SalinaH2 – **Oh lord, Bollywood movies haha. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol ones are always so dramatic man LOL! Anyways, I wish I could say I was doing well but if you read all the drama I wrote about above...meh! I'll be fine though, things are getting better! Xoxo

**Kickstartmyhart**

**Calmblue – **Welcome! I loved your review, you should always give me longs one haha! I really do love reading them. Your guess about Kai using Hilary as an excuse...GENIUS!


	50. Chapter Fifty

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

"I have to talk to you about something,"

"Talk,"

"But if I tell you, you can't get mad,"

"What is it?"

"So..."

Impatience was beginning to get the best of Kai. He could tell Dylan was unnecessarily dragging out whatever it was that she needed to tell him. Usually he could care less – _way_ less – about anything she had to say, but he recalled the last time their conversation started this way. It had been about his father. "Just tell me," Came his stern demand.

Her turquoise orbs shifted to the corner of her eyes as if she was avoiding eye contact and she took a deep breath like she was about to talk about something she didn't exactly want to talk about. Before the very first sentence could leave her mouth, or even word for that matter, the doorbell had come as an interruption. There was a small exchange between what sounded like Tala...and Tyson.

And then Bryan.

"Be right back," The cheerleader practically pushed him off her, scurrying out of his room at the speed of a bullet. And she hadn't come right back. He concluded she'd left with Tyson, returning a little over two hours later. Putting his game on pause, Kai looked towards the doorway, a slate brow raised as if to ask when they would begin their 'talk'. Alas, there were more disturbances.

"Yo! Dill Pickle!" Tala trekked out of the kitchen, a chicken wing in one hand and his phone in the other, "It's Mathilda,"

As she took the Blackberry and raced upstairs, Kai silently cursed the redhead and Mathilda altogether. He continued the video game for about another hour before heading upstairs just in time to catch her stepping out of the washroom, marking the end of her apparently private phone call with Mathilda.

"In my room," He strolled past by her nonchalantly, "Now,"

He noted her obedience as he heard her footsteps behind him and as they both entered his room, he shut the door, the Californian climbing – or crawling, rather – onto his mattress. She looked over her shoulder with a devilish smirk, making sure he'd have the best view of her butt, "So what are you going to do to me?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and opted to keep a safe distance from her. Resting his behind on the edge of his table, he posed in his 'Kai-pose', you know, arms crossed, face facing the ground, eyes closed; no one shit was given. Or so it seemed.

"You had something to talk to me about," But it had taken a single beep from the phone for her to completely forget about him, her attention given solely to the Blackberry instead. The receiving and replying of text messages seemed never ending and already having had to wait for her for so long, Kai was not pleased. Perhaps for this reason her parents had disconnected her phone line. "_Well_?"

The irritation in his tone was obvious and she seemed to take the hint. Placing the phone an arm's length away, she lay on the bed on her back, "Don't worry about that, hun, it's been settled,"

"Is that so," He wasn't buying her bull, "What was it about?"

"Mallory. I'm sure you remember our falling-out,"

"Was that not already solved a few days back?"

"Look at you," Her lips curved into a teasing grin, "Keeping tabs on me,"

"Hn,"

The Blackberry beeped again, its red blinker indicating another incoming message. She was about to reach over but a threatening look from Kai made her change her mind, "It was complicated, but don't worry, M and I are cool now, we solved everything today; I just wanted your opinion on what I should have said to her,"

Kai gave her a hard stare; he didn't quite believe her but there was not much he could do. "Did you enjoy your time with Tyson?"

"Not as much as I enjoy my time with you, Superman. In fact," She retreated from the bed and walked over to his closet. He gave her a quizzical look as she pulled out his jacket and held it towards him, "Why don't you take me somewhere right now?"

He chuckled to himself as he pushed his jacket away and moved towards his bed, picking up _Secret Daughter_ that was lying on his bedside table and staring at it grimly.

"You'd rather read _that_ than go out?"

"Hilary has been enquiring about my progress on it and I cannot find substantial information about the story online,"

"I have the perfect solution to your dilemma, sweetheart," She smirked and Kai quickly prepared himself for another conspiracy from the mastermind, "Hilary wants you to read the book, you don't want to read the book, and I've actually already read the book,"

Kai looked at her funny, "You read the book?"

"Yeah," She shrugged, "I was bored so I took it from your room and had it for like three days, you didn't even notice," She chuckled, "The story wasn't that bad but I think it's aimed more towards women, it's not your kind of book. Anyways I can give you a detailed review and you'll have all the information you need to impress Hilary, which is exactly what your goal is. After all, Tyson is already impressive with his world champion status so you'll need some kind of 'collateral', if you will, to secure a spot for yourself in Hilary's life,"

The bluenette gave her a sceptical look, "This ridiculous novel will bring me up to par with Tyson and 'secure' Hilary for me?"

"Exactly," She nodded, "Don't worry Kai, I'll explain everything over dinner," She handed him his jacket once again, "I got your back,"

"If I'm not mistaken, you just had dinner with Tyson,"

"He took me to a Japanese restaurant," Her face screwed up in disgust, "I've never been to a Japanese restaurant. Everything was either practically raw or I just didn't know what the heck it was. I couldn't decide if it was better or worse than Russian food. No offence,"

Brows gathered in the center, Kai stared at his jacket for a few seconds. Letting out an irritated sigh, he snatched it out of her hands and headed downstairs, where they were booked by big bro: "You two going somewhere?"

"Study date," She held up the book at the suspicious looking Tala, "Hilary won't fuck him unless he's read the book and knows the material by heart,"

While Kai was appalled by her choice in language, Tala had totally bought the _technically _true story. He threw the phoenix a sympathetic look, "Brutal,"

"Yup," The blonde nodded as she looped a scarf around her neck, "We're going to the library,"

The two ended up in the silver Beamer within seconds. He started the car and in the time he waited for it to warm up, he looked over at her, "Tell me what takes place in the first chapter,"

True to her words, she'd given him a lengthy summary. And that was only the first chapter. He decided it was much better than reading the actual novel. Besides, listening to her wasn't so bad. Turning down the old school Michael Jackson that was playing in the background, he paid careful attention to her voice. It wasn't high pitched, she didn't talk in a baby voice, it wasn't squeaky, it wasn't too quiet, and even though the word 'like' appeared to be the most used in her vocabulary, she didn't necessarily sound fake; in fact it was actually quite the opposite of what one would expect from an All-American blonde cheerleader. It was a little deeper, but very feminine and composed, a hint of assertiveness always present in her tone. She didn't stutter or say 'um' much making the flow of her sentences that much smoother.

"So that is chapter one," She concluded, "I'll get you through chapter two while we eat,"

"I've already eaten," Bryan had made dinner just over an hour ago, "You're having pizza,"

"Coolness," And with what was practically an approval in his choice, he'd stopped by a small local pizzeria. He saved a table while she picked up her order – two slices of pizza and a small carton of chocolate milk – from the front counter. She returned with 'normal food', slipping into the chair on the other side of the table and as she began her summary of the next chapter in the book, he began to study her. With her in his immediate line of vision, it was more reflexive than on purpose. Almost forced, he decided

She talked about Kavita, one of the characters in _Secret Daughter_, but he was too consumed by the ribbons of honey and caramel that was her hair. He was rather fascinated by such an in-between shade that was situated between flaxen and brunette, though mostly the former, the naturally built in highlights being the epitome of her dirty blonde locks. Then there were the blue eyes. They were the same as her older sibling, but it wasn't as if Kai had ever taken the time to _look_ at Tala – that would be mildly creepy. Nonetheless, now that he had the chance to see them through someone else's eyes – no pun intended – he quite admired them. There was something very nice about them. And her lips; they were always wet-looking, not over-glossed-wet, but _moist_. He recalled their baby soft and succulent texture from that time in his car.

And outside his room when he woke up one morning.

And in the kitchen.

And now. Maybe. He snapped out of it when he realized he must've been 'studying' her for too long because she'd smirked and leaned over the table, "Can I help you?"

He imitated her by moving forward also and though his face remained expressionless, she looked hopeful for some lip action. Confusion soon took over her features as he held out a napkin for her, "You can start by wiping the pizza sauce off the side of your face."

**x x x**

Wiping his beyblade with a cloth, Ian chuckled as he leaned over towards Tala and read Dylan's latest Facebook status.

**_Dylan Ivanov _**_is shaving her armpits, chin, and (fill in the blank)_

**_Faisal Ali _**_chin? o.O_

**_Latonya Anderson _**_tala is an asshole_

**_ Kyrone Bell _**_rofl ur balls :P_

**_Eddie Wheeler _**_nipples_

Grinning, Ian pointed at the screen, "She has messages in her inbox. Let's check them out,"

Tala gave the short beyblader a pathetic look before shaking his head, logging out of the hacked account, "Are you dumb?"

"What? Come on, man,"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" The redhead leisurely logged into his own Facebook account instead, "I'm not gonna let you read her private messages. Even I don't read her shit,"

"You suck,"

"You swallow,"

Ian rolled his eyes and resumed to whatever he was doing, "So how are things with Julia?"

"Things are cool," He responded nonchalantly, slightly cringing at the same time at the sight of his homepage littered with Ming-Ming and Spencer going back and forth on each other's walls and her status updates _about_ Spencer. Good thing for Emily York; she'd told them to shut the fuck up in one of their posts.

In less words and with no foul language.

'Liking' Emily's comment, Tala moved onto more interesting things. He wasn't too big on Facebook, or any social networking sites, but it was a nice way to not completely live under the rock – like Kai – and it was a good way to keep in touch with some cousins and old friends from California.

"What about Mathilda? How's she?"

Tala immediately laughed out loud, "Are you shitting me?" He'd caught on instantly, punching his teammate on the arm, "Man, good luck because if Dylan finds out about this, she'll never let it happen."

* * *

**I KNOW! I KNOW! WTF, RIGHT? **And I know this chapter is HORRENDOUSLY short but I just wanted to let you guys know I'm still alive! Also, I admit this chapter was rushed, but I'd rather have it up now than wait even longer. Anyways, if anyone's wondering what I was up to, here you go:

**PARENTS. **They've been fighting over that other woman I told you about in the last chapter. I'm so sick of my parents fighting all the time. I've had to see it for all 23 years of my life and I'm just done. During a car ride this weekend, my dad parks in a random parking lot and my mom and him starts fighting and then they turn to me and ask me who's right and who's wrong. So stressful.

**BOYFRIEND. **I don't even wanna talk about this fucker...

**COUSINS. **I took the initiative to see what was going on between us. We talked. We cried (well I did LOL!). We are great now :) Apparently they felt "intimidated" b/c they're new to Canada and I was born here.

**TORONTO. **Okay, we should be at minus 30 degrees right now with snow up to our assholes (...that would be uncomfortable). I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on with the weather, but we are still in the positives :| I heard about Japan getting a shit load of snow and Europe being in a "deep freeze"...and here we are, sitting at like plus 10 degrees. I have NEVER seen this happen before, it's really odd.

**XOXO to...**

**Norweg91**

**Sarcasm – **You have some good guesses there! About Mariah and Tala, the reader AND the characters in the story don't really know what happened between them. I've left it vague, but don't worry, it will all unfold! For now, you, the reader, and the characters in the story only know that they kind of liked each other, but it was never official and it died before it even started. When Mariah talks to Mathilda, it suggests that there was more between them than people though. Daichi is 16 btw! And yes, my boyfriend (let's call him an ex b/c I consider myself single) is pretty fucked up. His family is even more fucked up. Anyways, I recently found out that I have Saudi Arabian ancestry! Haha!

**Carlie Davidson**

**Meh – **Man, anything drama related sounds Bollywood! LOL! I think I seriously get inspiration from Hindi movies haha! Anyways, about snow...oh man, like I said above, no snow for us this year. We have no idea what the hell is going on. It's so fucking weird! I've really never seen this happen before!

**Xxz0eyxx – **Nothing was taken offensively, he IS a jerk. To be honest, I consider myself single. I just call him "boyfriend" on here to make it easier lol. I haven't talked to him in a week-ish. And Bring It On? LOVE that movie!

**Snuffy – **First of all, Happy Belated Birthday! What'd you do for it? And read my note about the weather! It's so ridiculous, we've got no snow over here, people are going out in hoodies (we should be in winter jackets with scarves, mitts, hats, and boots). We do celebrate Thanksgiving here, ours' is a different date than the U.S. though.

**Biancuhh – **I know! I've been gone for a bit, haven't I? LOL! I'm back now! Xoxo

**Lazy Chick – **Wow, you've got cousin drama too? And why didn't she invite you guys? Do you guys generally get along? That is weird! Sometimes I just don't get family!

**50525 – **Sleep with as many people? Lol, you perve. Haha, nah I couldn't do that (sleeping around). I do consider myself single though! I just can't put up with him. Then there's his mom who keeps calling my home phone and cell phone and his sisters keep making fake profiles on Facebook and try to add me. I just don't get it. Brown people, I tell you lol.

**SalinaH2**

**Bey-beyfan – **Yes! They use Alaskan Pollock! I searched it up b/c when my friend said imitation crab, I was like wtf is that. She didn't know what it was either! And yes, I'm studying to be an accountant lol. I actually like it! What grade are you in?

**Lychee Green Tea – **I LOVED your review! Sat down with chocolate just to read it LOL! About this story, most of it is based off real life which is what gives it that realistic feel (at least that's the goal). Also, when I read stories on fanfic and the author gives every little detail away in like the first chapter, I just lose interest, so I knew that that's something I wouldn't do. I mean I try to give out as much as I can, but I try to do it through OTHER characters. And I don't find it hard! I love this! It's like a journal, honestly! THERAPY! Haha! Anyways, your thoughts about Kai and Dylan (and Hilary) are really good! Btw, are you from Vancouver? (If you are, I'm from there too!) And yes, apparently you are supposed to hate us :P But we're not that bad!

**Nubia – **Your review was amazing! And your analysis on the story was really, really, really good! Everything will unfold, don you worry! :)

**Bellainucullen – **All those questions will be answered...soon :P

**Crying Sorceress – **Yeah life has been a little nuts, but that's life! And yes, Plan B, never again :| It was awful! I got my period twice and I was freaking out! And the boy is out of my life...sort of!

**Shika-kunfan001**

**Gigglesworth**

**PhoenixxLament**

**Waffles – **Tyson and Julia? NO! LOL! Just had to get that one out of your head!

**Eidolon Twilight Princess – **Hello new reader! :) Glad you like the story! Let me know what you think of the other chapters!


	51. Chapter Fifty One

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

Mariah served a generous amount of salad on everyone's dinner plate while Ray went around with a pot of freshly steamed rice and Kevin filling up four glasses of water was the finishing touch. Gary and Lee were called to the table and dinner commenced. As the team captain grabbed the spare seat beside his sister, Mariah shifted further away. Ray caught a glimpse of the tension, though didn't bother making a comment. Instead he smiled, "How's the food, guys?"

"Hot," Kevin remarked with a half open mouth full of food, a hand fanning in front of his face.

Lee rolled his eyes at the youngest member of the White Tigers before clearing his throat, "I would appreciate if everyone goes to bed early tonight; we have a battle tomorrow,"

"Against The Majestics?" Gary enquired and Lee nodded.

"Correct. You all know how strong they are. It'll be a difficult battle but we must win,"

Kevin piped up again, "What if we don't?"

"We will,"

"Yeah," Kevin twirled his fork around his food, "But what if we don't?"

Lee growled, "I said we will!"

"But what if -" Gary was brutally cut off by an annoyed Lee.

"Enough!" He silenced; stupid, irritating, and repetitive questions were common between Kevin and Gary. Lee figured it was best to put a stop to it early on before the imbeciles brought extraterrestrial aliens into their scenarios of 'what ifs', "Anyways," He regained his usual composure, "What has everyone been up to?"

Gary shrugged and Kevin muttered a 'nothing'. Ray on the other hand seemed to have an interesting story, "The usual," He began, "Hung out with the guys, worked out with the guys, got high with the guys -" Lee's disapproving look went ignored, "– bought some really good vodka," He shrugged nonchalantly as if the events of his life were no big deal, "And Tala came over the other day,"

An eerie silence filled the room. Mariah's faced heated up in anxiety and her heart skipped a few beats in a row. At least that's how it felt. She looked at Ray from across the table with partially narrowed eyes, almost as if to ask what the hell he thought he was doing. Nonetheless, he avoided her entirely, his full attention given to his food.

"Pardon?" The fact that Lee had asked so calmly was frightening, for everyone knew that before the arrival of a storm, it was always calm.

Ray looked up, "What?"

"Repeat what you just said,"

The tiger chuckled, "Why?"

Mariah's throat had gone so dry, she doubted water would help. Ray bringing up such a thing was so shocking to her. How could he do this? She'd trusted him; he even told Tala he wouldn't mention it. Did Ray secretly not like Tala either? Did Ray secretly like Mariah more than a friend? So many thoughts and assumptions circled her mind as to why her childhood friend of forever would betray her so blatantly. It was unbearable.

"Did you just say Tala was over?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Ray confirmed before his usually cheerful attitude changed into one of seriousness to match with Lee's, "Is something the matter?"

There was a long pause in which Mariah could feel her older brother's eyes bore into her, silently asking if this was her doing. Gary and Kevin had checked out of the conversation from the time Tala's name was even mentioned, taking themselves out of involvement immediately.

"What the hell was he doing ov -"

"Look Lee," Ray interrupted the stunned White Tiger captain, "You're my captain and you're my friend. I respect you and you know that. But Tala is also my friend,"

"Since when?"

"That is irrelevant. The point is Tala is my friend," Ray paused, making brief eye contact with Mariah before returning his gaze to Lee, "And I'm allowed to invite and have my friends over."

**x x x**

Emily watched the other beyblade as it landed outside of the dish. Victorious, the ginger smirked and pushed up her glasses before calling back her beyblade. The cheerleaders by the sidelines went wild by the All Stars' win against the less known team from Argentina.

"Alright!" Michael grinned, "That was great!" He congratulated Emily with a pat on the back, her other team members following suit. Judy stood about a foot away with a proud smile before escorting the Americans out of the arena and to the seats where they could watch the final battle of the day. The White Tigers had already had their match against The Majestics, the former losing to the European team. Considering both teams were strong and fan favourites, reactions from the audience were mixed: some pointed blameworthy fingers at the cheerleaders for being a distraction in general, some said the Majestics won by fluke, and some proposed the Majestics had only gotten stronger and that they'd be the champions this year.

Suddenly the lights in the stadium flickered on. "Ladies and germs, are you ready for the next battle?" DJ Jazzman announced, "Please give it up for the Blitzkrieg Boys!" That was a nice way of saying 'ladies and men that swing such way, you may now proceed to pull down your panties and take off your bras and throw it at their faces'. Spencer and Ian looked like they were in heaven. Bryan, although appreciative, was more composed. Kai looked irritated as fuck as a red thong hit him square in the face like a rolled up newspaper. He swiped it away angrily, only to have it collected by Tala, both his hands full of colourful undergarments. "And now please welcome, all the way from South Africa, Barthez Battalion!"

Upon entrance, Miguel received the most attention, what with that head of blonde hair and those light eyes, the exotic look produced by his mixed background, he was major eye candy. Unfortunately some of that spotlight was about to be taken away. By Mathilda. With a pair of tight skinny jeans, a white tank top that exposed the slightest midriff, her pink hair just skimming her shoulders, eyelashes thick and dark, something rosy and shimmery on her lips, a different Mathilda appeared to be on display. Approval was given in the form of hoots and whistles from men in the crowd. She smiled shyly at the newfound attention and gave a small wave.

Michael shrugged, "Didn't know she could look that hot,"

"Yeah," Eddie smirked, "She pretty cute. Check out that rack," A disapproving look from Emily made him fumble, "I mean her back. She has a nice back, the curvature of her spine and how it meets with her skull, yahmean?" He grinned as the tennis player only rolled her eyes and went back to watching the two teams get ready for their battle. It was obvious who would win. Barthez Battalion was a good team, but the Blitzkrieg Boys were lethal – they weren't second place for nothing.

"I'll take the first round," Miguel announced to his team, "Mathilda, you take the second. If we need a third, Aaron, you're up," The respective bladers nodded, watching as their captain readied his beyblade. Giving him some words of encouragement, they watched him march up the platform, his opponent being the shortest member of the Blitzkrieg Boys.

Ian smirked, spitting on the side, "Ready to lose?" Smart ass comments were exchanged before and during the battle, but at the end, it came down to respect.

"Nice win," Miguel shook hands with the triumphant Blitzkrieg Boy.

Ian nodded, "Good game, man," Finally they parted ways, each going back to their team. Meanwhile, with the blessings of her own teammates, Mathilda took to the platform but the sight of Kai on the other side practically made her urinate herself. He'd destroy her 100 times over. She knew she'd already lost even though the battle hadn't even started yet. She felt like a joke just standing here. What the hell were the Blitzkrieg Boys thinking sending their strongest link to face her? Then again, it didn't seem like that team had a weakest link.

"3...2...1..."

Oh, the horror.

"Let it rip!"

Mathilda looked towards the sidelines. It was well known by now – if her altered shirt hadn't given it away already – that the head of the BBA cheer squad was a _huge_ fan of Kai, and it probably had nothing to do with his beyblading skills. Nonetheless, the hedgehog decided not to let it bother her when Dylan rooted for him instead of her. It would be a little odd to be jealous of Kai, after all. She chuckled to herself at the thought. She made very brief eye contact with the blonde and smiled to communicate that there were no hard feelings before looking back to the dish. Beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead, most of it from fear and some of them from lack of support from the other cheerleaders.

The yellow beyblade remained dormant in the center of the dish, the blue one spinning on the outskirts of the dish threateningly and ready to attack. But there was no attack. Mathilda didn't need to know Kai on a personal level to know why he hadn't quite made a move either. Recalling his battles with others from previous years, she knew he wanted a fair fight even if the odds of winning were brutally against her. She was much too terrified to do anything, though. She wanted a quick and painless end but easy wins were not his thing.

"VIC-TO-RY! VIC-TO-RY! Grab that V, now dot that I, and grab that C-T-O-R-Y! Go Mattie!"

Her attention was whisked away by the sound of her name. The pinkette eyed the margins of the stadium again, the Queen Bee in her direct line of vision, both pom-poms in the air. A divide amongst the cheerleaders had been created: most were all for Kai, obviously, standing close to the Blitzkrieg Boys as they rooted for his win.

But there was one that had gone astray from the rest of the cheer squad. Situating her lone self close to Mathilda, the cheer captain continued the chant with a shake of the blue and gold tassels, "Bring it home, Mattie! You got this! Come on!"

Mathilda knew she could never in a million years grab the V or dot the I and grab the rest of C-T-O-R-Y against Kai. That was Tyson Granger's job. But that was okay. She realized she had gained something other than an impossible victory against the Blitzkrieg Boy; she had gained Dylan's loyalty. And that was good enough for Mathilda. With newfound encouragement, she continued the battle for two reasons: the first was to acknowledge Dylan's support by putting effort into the match, even if Mathilda had to fake it, and the second was because if she wasn't going to do anything, neither was Kai.

After a few seconds, she found herself walking back to her team in loss. What Miguel, Aaron, and Claude had to say, she didn't know or care. She beamed at the cheer captain, catching the blonde showing off the peace sign before joining the rest of the BBA cheer squad in the center of the arena to close off the show. Turning around, Mathilda jogged down the corridors to catch up with the rest of her team, but it was a moment before she reached her locker room that she was startled by someone's hand on her shoulder. She swatted it off hastily in paranoia.

"Relax!" Ian laughed and raised his hands defensively, "It's just me,"

Her shoulders slumped in embarrassment, "I'm so sorry,"

"No problem," He shrugged it off before putting on a grin, "I just came by to let you know that I thought your battle was impressive,"

Mathilda raised a brow – for good reason. Ian had never given her praise before. "Oh?" They weren't that close.

"Yeah, you did really great,"

"Okay," Mathilda finally smiled timidly, not knowing what else to do or how else to react, "Thank you,"

"Anytime. Anyways, I gotta go," He took a step back to prepare his exist, "I'll catch you later?"

Conformity was given with a bob of the head and with a wave, she watched him take off. As he disappeared down the hallways, Mathilda narrowed her eyes at the floor in confusion. Then, shaking her head, she proceeded into her locker room.

**x x x**

Waiting for the cheerleader to finish up her performance, the Blitzkrieg Boys killed time in their locker room. Ian did a quick inspection of his beyblade, Bryan, Spencer, and Kai engaged in a game of cards while the team captain only watched everything unfold as he comfortably sat slouched in his seat, a joint gripped between two fingers as he smoked away.

Looking away from the cards in his hands, Bryan frowned at the redhead, "If Dickenson finds out about drugs, that's an automatic disqualification,"

Tala looked at the lilac haired blader pathetically, "It's not a drug, it's a fucking plant," He rolled his eyes before taking another hit, "Mariah and I used to do this all the time,"

Ian chuckled, "Get out,"

"Yeah man," He reaffirmed, "She wasn't afraid of a little grass like Bryan over here,"

"Now that," Spencer drew a card into the pile in the center, "is fucking cool. A bitch who'll smoke up with you? Amazing. Hope I find myself something like that," As he made his next move, Kai dropped all his cards on the table to show off his win. Spencer grunted, throwing his cards down angrily, "Suck my dick, Kai,"

"After you," Came the comeback as Kai withdrew from his chair and made an exit from the room. He fetched a few coins from his pocket and strolled down the hall, stopping in front of the vending machine full of drinks. As he scanned his selections of pop, juice, and water, he was interrupted by a dark and demonic presence next to him.

With an elbow up against the wall and two fingers resting on her temple, Dylan grinned, "Hi," Her hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail accessorized with a blue ribbon in true cheerleader fashion, "Are you having trouble making a decision?" Her turquoise orbs shifted to the vending machine and then at him.

"Hn,"

"How about some milk?"

"That is not on the menu,"

She sandwiched herself between him and the drink machine, "Are you blind, sweetheart?" Kai took to her hint and his gaze descended to her chest, "You can have an unlimited supply, free of charge," She advertised with a shake of her goods.

"Tempting," He picked her up with one arm, ignoring her excited 'oooh' as she was lifted off the ground, and inserted the coins into the machine, "But I'll stick to water," He grabbed the dispensed bottle of water, holding it and twisting the cap off all with one hand. It was at that precise moment a flash of light practically blinded him.

"What the fuck?" He heard Dylan say followed by a chuckle.

Kai looked up and grimaced at the BBA photographer. He looked like an imbecile, standing in front of them with a dumb grin. Putting the blonde down, he marched up to the BBA employee, "I want that deleted," Came the phoenix's demand, "Now,"

"Come on, mate," An Australian, Kai deduced from his accent, "It's a great photo! Check it out,"

The ex Bladebreaker didn't bother taking a look at the small screen of the digital camera, "Delete it,"

"Don't be insecure, Kai," Dylan smirked, "Look how good your arms look and you're not even flexing,"

The bluenette gave the cheerleader a grim look. It had nothing to do with insecurity, but it had everything to do with publicity; he tried to stay away from that kind of shit as much as possible. And of all pictures, this one would have to be the most..._interesting_, to say the least. The way he'd picked her up, the way his hand gripped onto her bare thigh and much of his arm was covered under her Godforsaken tiny skirt. He was in the middle of opening the water bottle when the picture was taken, his eyes focused on screwing the cap off. She, on the other hand, was more prepared than him. Only partially, though. Her mouth was open from being in the middle of a laugh, her hand gestured towards the camera as if to say 'what the fuck'. It was probably when she really said it too. The finishing touch had to be the part where one of her were knees bending, her foot pointing up in the air. However candid the content of the photo, there was still a certain kinky vibe to it.

That was precisely the problem.

Kai took a threatening step forward and the photographer took a mildly terrified step back. Dylan rolled her eyes, "Relax, hun. This is going to work to your advantage. He," Her hands trailed to the photographer's back in indication, "is helping you out. Aren't you," She paused to scan his name tag, "Peter?"

The brunette laughed nervously, "Indeed!"

"See?" Dylan smiled at Kai with confirmation and went into further detail, "This picture will be posted on the BBA's official Facebook and Twitter page and when Hilary sees the picture, which she will, she'll see how desired you are," She explained, "When that happens, she'll desire you too – why? Because you are the product and this is the advertisement," Her thumb jabbed at the camera, "And Hilary is the target market,"

"Exactly!" Peter chimed in again, his enthusiasm quickly transforming into fright as Kai glared at him.

"Right. You can leave now," The cheer captain told Peter, and as the brunette scurried down the hall, she ushered Kai towards the Blitzkrieg Boys' locker room, "This is all part of the plan, Kai. We have this one in the bag," She reassured as they entered the room, where her nose immediately wrinkled, "It smells like weed,"

"Why don't you say that a little fucking louder?" Tala smacked her on the side of the head, "You know, let security hear you," He rolled his eyes and handed her the car keys, "Let's go, I'm hungry," A division was made once they reached the parking lot. For fear of their life over a female driver, Spencer, Bryan, and Ian got into Kai's car and the siblings took shelter in the Supra, "We're going to McD's," The redhead informed and buckled in, motioning her for her to do the same, "Make a left up there," He pointed, "Then keep going straight,"

With the BMW following this time, the designated route was taken, the roads becoming oddly familiar after a few blocks. Dylan looked around, a brow rising, "Aren't we near my school?" Tala confirmed with a 'yeah' and the blonde glanced over at him and then back at the roads, the recognizable McDonald's sign looming up ahead, "Why that one?"

"Why not that one?"

"Is that a rhetorical question? I don't want to bump into people from school when you're with me,"

"Correction: _you're_ with _me_. I'm your legal guardian, you live with me, you sleep in my room, you run on my money, you follow my rules, and let's not forget you're driving my car," He smirked, patting her on the head, "Get your facts straight, Dill Pickle,"

She rolled her eyes, the fast food franchise getting closer, "I don't wanna go there,"

"That's just too bad I guess," Tala offered with a shrug as the vehicle came to a halt in the McDonald's parking lot. The BMW parked beside them, the members exiting also.

They went inside, all of them standing in line, though Spencer had offered to pay. Playing server, he took his team's orders, the cheerleader's turn arriving last, "What do you want?" He enquired.

"A cheeseburger and..." Pausing, she glanced over at the menu, her eyes eventually coming into contact with the one person she hoped not to bump into again. The McDonald's cashier seemed to recognize her also as he gave her a subtle sneer. Her gaze peeled away immediately and she concluded her order with an apple pie before grabbing some napkins off the island in the middle, "I'm gonna go find a table,"

With a nod from a few of them, she was off. The hunt was short as a booth by the window was claimed and soon the others made their way over. Spencer pushed a tray in her direction, her cheeseburger enclosed in that signature yellow wrapper and the small green box containing the apple pie. Everyone took a bite out of their extremely unhealthy but notoriously tasteful meal until Tala narrowed his eyes, looking around the table and then at Spencer, "Where's my Coke, man?"

"You didn't want one,"

"Are you dumb? Yes I did,"

"You didn't say anything when I asked you,"

"That's because you never asked me, fool,"

"I did," Spencer stood by his word and took a bite out of his BigMac, "You were too busy telling Kai about some bitch's big ass,"

The redhead glowered at the blonde beyblader, "Well I'll have you know her ass was like the Grand Canyon," He pulled out money from his back pocket and pitched it towards Dylan, "Go get me a Coke,"

"Like that's happening,"

"Considering the kitchen is that way and you're a girl, it should be happening,"

"If that's the case, shouldn't we be going together?"

Tala frowned and then regained his composure, "Go get it," He ordered sternly, "I'm not going to tell you again," Punching a fist into his other palm in threat, he watched his younger counterpart roll her eyes before picking up the currency. The bill folded and unfolded between her fingers tediously while she stood in line. There was a sense of discomfort, but it had been reduced by a sense of security; she looked over her shoulders, the table with the Blitzkrieg Boys in view. A few harmless fans had acquired enough courage to go up to them for autographs and pictures.

Sensing the people ahead finishing up, she faced forward and held out the money as her turn came up, "Hi, may I get a Coke?" The cashier stared at her before his eyes moved beyond her to the customer behind her and called them forward. The European family of four appeared confused, but shrugged off the matter and began their order instead. While it was obvious it had been done on purpose, she waited patiently for the family to receive their order before she took her place again, but as he leaned to the side slightly and looked past her, she realized it was about to happen a second time.

"Excuse me, I was in line," The blonde argued at last, maintaining her spot, "I just want a Coke,"

"I did not see you,"

"Yeah, sure. I just need to get a Coke," She repeated, adding another piece of detail she felt was important, "It's not for me,"

"Okay," He gave her a quick nod, "Wait over here,"

Dipping a nugget into honey, Tala watched the cashier and the blonde interact, a sign that his drink was due to come any time now. With curiosity out of the way, he carried on with his teammates, "Any new ideas for my beyblade yet?"

"Nah," Ian declined, "But I'm working on it,"

"We'll sit down tonight and figure something out,"

"Can't tonight. Kai and I are on Modern Warfare duty,"

Bryan sighed, "Alright fine. Count me in too,"

"You wanna stay at home and play games when we could be out getting pussy? You need to get your heads checked,"

"Is that all you think about?"

"Nah," Ian shook his head, "He also think about nipples,"

"Yeah," Tala nodded, "That's not surprising considering you sleep next to him without a shirt on," Ian choked on his bite while Spencer smirked at the redhead.

"If he sleeps next to me, then tell me why _your_ finger smells like his ass?"

"How do you know what Ian's ass smells like to begin with?"

Kai gave the two pathetic looks, mildly disturbed at the topic of conversation. Over lunch. At least with the Bladebreakers he only had one moron to deal with. Luckily Bryan came to his rescue, "Okay," He held up a hand to stop the jokes before they got out of hand, "That enough. There are children around. Let's just eat in peace,"

As it died down, Tala strained his neck to have a better view of the front, the younger Californian waiting closely by the counter. Grabbing one more fry and sliding out of his seat, he reached Dylan, a hand resting on her shoulder, "It's been 15 minutes, what's taking so long?"

She reeled, the look on her face expressing utter annoyance, "I told you we should have gone some place else,"

Tala's gaze lingered on her for a moment as if to study her. Then, excusing himself as he cut in line, he essentially invited himself into the situation, "Why hasn't she been served? I believe she made an order,"

Granting the redhead a harsh look, the attendant finally tendered the Coke. He placed it on the counter with a smirk, but not before letting it drop to the surface from a few centimetres above, the action causing the cup to tip over, the carbonated drink and ice spilling all over the cheer captain and soaking her uniform. The younger Californian quickly and reflexively took a step back, the older doing the reverse.

And the unexpected.

Tala leaned forward on the counter and grabbed at the employee's shirt, pulling him and then punching him in the face so hard that he ended up on the floor with a bloody – and possibly even broken – nose. Most people in the restaurant who had seen what happened were wide-eyed, and those who had failed to witness the event looked around from person to person in a confused fashion. Anyone who was curious and those that thrived from violence found themselves to be fortunate when it didn't end there. Tala hopped over to the other side of the counter himself to finish unfinished business, and with his back left out in the open, another McPredator was on his way. But he couldn't make it within a meter of the redhead and was brutally eliminated from the game by the charity box full of coins being thrown at him, courtesy of Dylan, hitting him on the side of his head.

He bled like a fountain, coins scattered everywhere like confetti in an invitation, and sensing that the fight was about to escalate into something bigger and uglier, customers began rushing out of the restaurant, especially those with younger children.

Bryan got up immediately, "This is a disaster,"

Ian's mile long grin had already contradicted, "This is awesome!"

"WHAT IS THIS!"

The hell that had broken loose stopped abruptly and all eyes were on...the manager.

* * *

**SORRY! **Don't even _begin_ to tell me how delayed this was. I had about 5 different versions of this chapter. Then some shit happened. I broke up – FOR GOOD – with the asshole. I am extremely proud to say it has been 7 weeks. This may sound crazy, but to me it is a huge accomplishment. We were together for 5 years (on and off) and he was my first everything. It got so bad that even when he did something wrong and threatened to stop talking to me, I would apologize and do anything he wanted me to do just so I could keep him. I've lost so much dignity and self respect on the way, it's probably in the negatives lol. But fear not, I am happy to let you all know that I've recovered very nicely from the impact. I didn't even cry once and that's probably b/c I've finally been hurt enough that there was just no more hurt left. I literally woke up one morning and cut him out of my life and just went cold turkey on this shit. I was just tired of it.

**Currently...** I am working part time and summer semester for school started last week. Summer is finally here and I'm in a skirt for the first time this season LOL! Life is great, I'm getting my social life back in order, my parents have stopped fighting, everything is fabulous and all I can really do is just look up and say thank you.

**Update me on your lives in your reviews! Xoxo**

**Waffles – **Kenny's email...in time!

**Carlie Davidson – **This chapter was a little longer. I liked the content, but I didn't really like my writing in this one lol. I updated anyway b/c it was taking too goddamn long. About the movie you suggested, The Perfect Teacher. I took your word for it and I am watching it now, as we speak haha. I'm only on the first part of the movie and I have to say, holy shit. You're right. It's so weird! Devin/Dylan...Mackenzie/Mathilda...holy hell! Mind blowing! The descriptions too! While they are eerily similar, you will notice considerable differences between Devin and Dylan. Annnd...Devin seems very psycho! :| I mean stealing his keys! Jesus! LOL!

**Xxz0eyxx – **Here I am! As I had promised :) In terms of a TalaxOC story...truth be told, I have some ideas. I may upload it, depending! Haha. Brooklyn will be back for sure, no worries!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **If you think the last chapter took longer, this one took longer! But I'm back!

**Sarcasm – **Regarding Dylan and Kai...the entire reason she wanted to tell him was b/c Tyson and Max saw her with Mr. Hiwatari already. Since Max and Tyson and good friends with Kai, they would probably tell Kai what they saw and if they told him before she did it would look really bad on her (as Mathilda had also suggested). So, she was going to tell him...but when Tyson told her that Max and him weren't going to tell Kai anything (UNLESS she was doing anything that would cause some kind of harm towards Kai) and so she ended up not having to tell him. In conclusion, the only reason Dylan was about to tell Kai was b/c she was kind of being forced to, not that she wanted to. Hope this clears that up! Also, I have to say you're definitely catching onto some things, you genius! :P And people didn't die in Canada b/c of the cold haha it was in Europe! We barely had winter here this year, it was so odd! Annnnd...about the boyfriend, you can read the note!

**Biancuhh**

**Randomok – **I am very honoured! :D And I'm so sorry about taking so long...if you read my note, you'll see why haha. But I'm good to go now! I have to say I am really, really, REALLY happy to hear you say that you rely more on logic than what those damn people say. My dad tells me that Islam is a very scientific religion and only those who read between the lines will understand. Unfortunately too many people take things out of context. He sat down with me the other day and we were looking a book with some explanation of how God (or Allah, I guess) created humans. They took the verse out of the Quran and examined every word (in the verse they mentioned a leech and some chewed substance, something like that, I forgot a little). I like when there is a scientific approach, not what some dumb uneducated bastard thinks it means. My ex boyfriend and his family were like that, just uneducated and took crap out of context and their reasoning never made sense. About understanding Hindi/Urdu...I can understand most of it, but I can't speak it! My parents can speak it though lol. And yes, I do watch Hindi movies with subtitles. The last movie I watched was Don 2...did you see it?

**Kickstartmyhart – **Mariah and Tala, eh? Be careful what you wish for! Remember, Julia's in the picture too! And a story with 1 guy and 2 girls HARDLY ever goes okay LOL!

**Qiuyue – **YOU WENT TO JAPAN! Tell me how it was, I want to know everything! Did you try sushi there? Well, obviously LOL was it very different? I live in Toronto which is pretty landlocked so apparently our sashimi is not very fresh. How are they people there?

**50525 – **Yeah, I know all guys are pervs :P What kind of racism did you experience in England? Unfortunately Islam has become a target everywhere and I find this is b/c a lot of Muslim people take shit out of context from the holy books (don't worry, I'm Muslim lol). As bad as this may sound, I really don't blame people for having the wrong impression on Islam b/c there the ratio between educated and civil Muslims to uneducated and uncivil Muslims are 50:1 (that is not an exaggeration) and when an uneducated/uncivil person reading the holy books doesn't understand something, they'll either assume or make up their own stuff. And that is precisely where the problem begins. That is why you have some women who don't cover their hair, some women who do cover their hair, some women who cover their hair but will put half their boobs on display, and then you have some women who even cover their face. In the Quran it mentions something about "curtaining" your "ornaments". Some Muslim people take the word "curtain" in literal terms, which, in my opinion, was never meant to be taken _literally_. I say this b/c there is another part in the Quran that says something along the lines of "You have been created with a drop of blood the size of the pointed end on a needle". If someone takes that literally, it won't make any sense. If you read between the lines and try to understand it, what it really means is a blood cell – we are made of blood cells. And blood cells are extremely tiny. Long note lol but I like to spread around some info whenever I get the chance. I feel that it's up to Muslims to rebuild our "image" the same way we tarnished it.

**SalinaH2 – **You don't have to tell me about exams, I know exactly what you mean! My last one was on April 27. How did you do on yours'? I pretty much got raped by one of my exams! Haha. And sorry if I scared you with the delay this time around, shit did happen, but I'm good! :D As for how many chapters this story will be...good Lord, don't ask me b/c even I don't know! I feel kinda blah that it's already now past 50 chapters :S I don't know if that's good or bad! I'm trying not to make it drag as much as possible but it ALWAYS ends up happening! Also, I guess I'm trying to keep it long just so I'd be able to always write haha lame I know. I do know a few good stories on here. One is called "Not the End" by EnigmaPhenomenon (it's in my faves if you want to check it out). Its a REALLY good story in my opinion. No romance or anything, but the story line is amazing and very different from what I've ever read, the characters are kept in character, the writing style is great and it's mostly from Tala's perspective. Give it a try, I think you'll really enjoy it!

**DGMSilverAirHead03**

**Home Country Famous For Sheep – **The boy has been dumped. Finally. Lol. Haha. Have you started your story, by the way? I would be very interested to read it. Also, if you're in France as an exchange student, where are you originally from? And is this for university or high school? Annnnd, lots of questions I know lol, but is France really what people make it out to be? All romantic and stuff? Great pasteries? Tell me everything!

**xxxNightshadow – **Welcome! Haha! Good guesses, but you'll have to wait to see if you were right :P Everything has worked out in life, finally, but her I'm only 23 so let's see what happens next! Lol.


	52. Chapter Fifty Two

**STORY IS GOING TO BE RATED MATURE FROM NOW ON! **

**STORY IS GOING TO BE RATED MATURE FROM NOW ON! **

**STORY IS GOING TO BE RATED MATURE FROM NOW ON! **

As most of you know, this story had been removed from Fanfiction a little over two weeks ago due to an 'admin error'. However true that may be, I still want to be on the safe side. So! Because this story DOES and WILL have sexual themes, fucking, pervertedness, drug use, heavy profanity, God knows what the hell else, **this story will now be rated M for MATURE. **You will have to click 'M' in the drop down menu to find this story OR go straight to my profile to read it.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

One had stitch marks on his temple while the other held two ice packs to his utterly blue and purple swollen face, both of their McDonald's uniform still intact. The Ivanov siblings occupied the other bench opposite to them, the two in ideal condition without even the slightest scratch.

Tala slouched on the wooden bench, his eyes scanning the police station in boredom. Officers walked in and out, some of them on their coffee break and others bringing in handcuffed offenders. His gaze landed on the dead beat McDonald's employees. He leaned closer to the blonde, "You got him pretty good, Dill Pickle,"

"You didn't do too bad yourself, Ranga," The Coke stain remained on her cheerleading uniform from the past hour, though was now partially dry, "Why'd you do it, though?"

"He spilled my drink," Tala glanced over at her, "Why'd you do it?"

"I thought he was gonna hit me,"

In the meantime, the other members of the Blitzkrieg Boys lingered in the waiting area of the police station. The authorities were called immediately after the devastation that took place in McDonald's. Tala, Dylan, the two employees, and the manager himself were all asked for some kind of statement before they were taken to the station where fate would take place. The team doubted Tala would get into _serious_ trouble; after all, it was only a fight, a bad one, but a brawl nonetheless. It was verified when the siblings were finally released, making their way to the waiting area themselves with the redhead holding a few papers.

"So?" Spencer raised a brow, "What's the verdict?"

Tala shrugged nonchalantly, "Just got a fine for 'disturbing the peace',"

"Well," Bryan exhaled out loudly as he stood up, "Let's hope it never happens again," The group of six exited the building and strolled across the parking lot. By the time they reached their vehicles, they heard someone behind them.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Wait please!" They turned as the manager of the McDonald's restaurant approached them in a jog, stopping in front of the high schooler, "I like to apologize to you on behalf of my employee. I hear that he kicked you out of restaurant last time because of your nationality. He did same thing last week with another Indian guy. I did not know, other employees told me and then I saw on surveillance camera. I want to tell you that I fired him. You are welcome at my restaurant all the time and I hope to see you soon," With that, he held out a wad of free meal coupons, "I also want to let you know that not everyone in this country is like him,"

She stared at the coupons for a while before accepting the offering with a smile. Not a grin, not a smirk, nothing flirty either Kai decided, but a very genuine smile, as if what the manager had to say was of indescribably extreme value to her. It was another brand new discovery for him; after all, he had never seen her truly grateful for something. He was much too used to witnessing her take most things for granted instead. He figured it was one of the reasons why her parents had shipped her off here. She pocketed the coupons in her jacket, their handshake marking the start of a new relationship, "I'll see you at lunch tomorrow."

**x x x**

The honk of a car from their driveway kicked off the next morning. Spoon full of cereal in midair, Tala raised a quizzical brow before walking towards the front window and moved the curtain aside. A rusty, beige, and old car was stationed behind his Supra and Kai's M3, slanted. A 97 Corolla, he identified. He recognized the blonde haired Vika in the passenger seat, Luka the driver, and Edward had stepped out of the car to have a smoke. As if on cue, he heard Dylan race downstairs, a hair tie held between her lips, one strap her of her backpack in one hand, a calculus textbook that didn't seem to fit in her bag in the other hand. Her uniform was worn sloppily like usual, one pant leg accidentally stuck in one of her socks and her top was wrinkled since she hadn't hung up her clothes like Tala had told her to. And he sure as hell wasn't going to do it for her. She grabbed her coat from the stair post at the bottom before looking for her boots in the shoe closet.

"Is that Luka's new ride or something?"

"His parents' old car," She provided as she pulled the boots on, "Anyways, I'm staying after school for that family studies project. Luka's going to drop me off home," And with that, she was out the door, not even bothering to close it as she left.

Edward flicked the butt of his cigarette off to the side and got in the car after Dylan. Getting to school was a breeze and although Luka was a much slower and law-abiding driver than Tala could ever be, it was better than walking around in the snow and having your boots soak up, taking your socks along with them, and feel like your fingers were going to fall off even with gloves on.

They made to school on time, of course. First and second period went by dully and slowly, the students resembling zombies, especially those who hadn't had enough sleep because they were much too busy Facebook-ing, video gaming, or talking to their significant other all night long through their cell phone, and those who had skipped breakfast. Then, lunch made an appearance. Luka's mouth never seemed to get a break as he stuffed himself with two BigMac sandwiches, feeding Wolborg some chicken nuggets every now and then, Vika was more gentle with her chicken burger and fries, and having already finished his lunch, Edward opted to finish some calculus homework, a cigarette tucked behind his ear like usual. He paused from his work to look up, his eyes meeting with the grey beyblade in Dylan's hand, a screwdriver firmly gripped in the other. The red varnish on her nails had been chipped off, stained in dark grease.

The pink haired Edward finally opened his mouth, "I thought it would be fixed by now,"

"Kenny didn't get back to me yet. It doesn't matter," She poked at the engine gear inside with the tip of the screwdriver, "I can try to do it myself,"

Vika laughed, "And your brother still didn't find out you take it?" Dylan shook her head with an eye roll. The tinkering continued, her nose wrinkling in further confusion as time elapsed.

"Then what about today's game?" Posed Luka after washing his last bite down with some Sprite, "You will be okay for that?"

Reassurance was given with a quick nod, "We'll be fine for the game,"

The beyblade was put back together without any further progress by the end of lunch. She swung her bag over her shoulder and looked over at Wolborg, "Back you go, boy," She held the beyblade in indication and as the dog whined, it's ears bending backwards, she ruffled the fur on the top of it's head, "I can't take you to school like this," With one last protest, Wolborg obediently disappeared into its bit. The quartet exited the restaurant and piled into Luka's car. The ride back to school took just under five minutes and they all separated into their respective classes. Calculus was always such a drag but it was worse – and sickening – with the girl sitting behind Dylan having a massive crush on Tala.

"Dee-lan! Dee-lan!"

The American rolled her eyes as she turned in her chair, "What?"

"You think he will like me now?" The Russian asked excitedly as Dylan raised an uninterested brow, "I lose some weight,"

"That's fabulous," The blonde smiled sweetly, resting her chin her palm, "Seems like you lost your breasts too," As the local student examined her own chest insecurely, Dylan turned back to face the chalk board. The math class was followed by her family studies course, the dismissal bell going off at 3 PM signifying the end of the school day. Not for everyone, though. The four reunited in the gymnasium of their school, this time uniformed in matching red jerseys and red shorts.

Coach Carter towered over them, his massive arms flexing as they crossed over his chest, his eyes moving from his own team to the team on the other side of the dish, "Aite, I know those Abbey boys look tough and all high-tech, but they ain't nothing but a bunch of privileged private school losers that think they better than everybody else when the truth is they ain't got nothing on nobody, especially you guys,"

Dylan looked over her shoulder to take a look at her adversaries for herself, "My brother and his team used to go to that school,"

"Well you ain't gotta worry about any freaky situation because that school is under new management. Has been for a while. The Abbey is a normal high school now," He chuckled lightly, "As normal as they can be..."

The cheerleader continued examining the students from the Blitzkrieg Boys' old school, Vika looked mildly worried to face such a daunting team, Edward didn't seem to give an eff – he could take on anybody – and Luka had his game face on, "Who is going first, coach?"

"I hear they have something against females," Coach Carter's gaze settled on the two blondes with a smirk, "Go get 'em, ladies."

**x x x**

After paying off the fine he had incurred from the day before, Tala found himself at the grocery store. He sighed as he grabbed a basket; how he had lost to Spencer in rock-paper-scissors again was beyond him. He looked over Bryan's list of things to purchase before stuffing it into his pocket and walking towards the produce section. The first thing he picked up was what he had come to realize in the last few years as the staple of Russia, and most parts of Europe: cabbage. It had been a hard concept for him to come around to in the beginning; after all, back home his fridge was usually stocked with Tropicana, cheese strings, hot dogs, chocolate milk, normal milk, fresh and locally picked fruits and vegetables, bottled water, Jell-O, leftover pizza from pizza night, and other 'American' basics.

He also recalled the ten different types of cereal they would always have at home, where seven of them would be his mother's pick of Shreddies, Bran Flakes, or something equally disgusting. With that he thought back to how their mom would force them to eat it for breakfast, in which half the time Tala would dump his cereal into Dylan's bowl when their parents weren't watching. The redhead smirked remembering all the times he'd gotten Dylan into trouble that way. She'd always cry with her mouth full, her chewed up contents falling back into the bowl along with her tears. Nonetheless, Hayden and Miranda caught on, eventually introducing the whole eating-from-the-same-bowl idea, a system Tala never managed to cheat his way out of.

Ah well, those days were long gone. He briefly wondered how his parents were doing in L.A. Knowing his mom and dad, _especially_ his dad, they were probably taking advantage of none of their kids around, christening every corner of their home. Tala's face twisted into one of revulsion and he visibly shuddered and in an attempt to get rid of the heinous thought, he walked into a random isle. The task was swiftly accomplished as his eyes picked up on a blur of pink brush past him.

He recognized the light floral smell that was left behind, but most of all, he recognized that ass as he looked over his shoulder, "Mariah?" Calling out to her was reflexive, something he hadn't thought about, his voice working faster than his thinking process. He wanted to take it back when he remembered their agreement to cut each other out of each other's lives. But it was too late for that. It also seemed to go right out the window.

"Oh," She looked surprised as she turned around, "What...are you doing here?"

"Came to get some tampons," He deadpanned and she immediately laughed at the joke.

"Might I recommend the jumbo ones? They'd work well for you since you're such an asshole sometimes,"

His nose wrinkled immediately, "Those things come in sizes?"

She gave him a pathetic look, "Are condoms all the same size?"

His arms crossed over his chest as he smirked, "You tell me,"

Mariah rolled her eyes, picking something off one of the shelves and examining the labels. At least she tried. English seemed non-existent in this country. She frowned before holding it out towards him, "Can you read this?"

He gave the product a quick glance, "Says sugar free," As she continued to scrutinize the foreign packaging, he began to study her. She was dressed casually today. Well, as casual as Mariah could possibly be, Tala decided; he had come to know her as quite the fashionista. Nothing ridiculous though, he always found her choices tasteful. She opted for some dark washed jeans today with a white sweater hiding underneath her brown leather jacket. Grey legwarmers peeked out of her slightly heeled boots. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, jerking left and right every time every time she took a step.

His hands reached for her pink locks, pulling the ends playfully. He looked away quickly before she turned around, "Wasn't me," It had earned him a punch on the arm and as he glared at her, she shrugged.

"Wasn't me," She started strolling down the aisle and he followed. Maybe he shouldn't have. He probably wasn't supposed to. But nothing had been awkward thus far and so he deemed it safe. "How is everyone at home?"

"They're okay,"

"What about your sister?"

He scoffed, "Who cares?"

She paused to give him a disapproving look before bringing up someone else, "And what about Julia? How are you two doing?"

"We're cool,"

Mariah smiled, "That's good. I'm happy for you guys," As her genuine smile faded into a more uncomfortable smile, Tala knew what was about to come next, "You know that..." She took a deep breath, "this doesn't change anything, right?"

He didn't respond right away, but when he did, he nodded, "I know,"

"Okay," Another smile, "Just making sure," She took a few steps backward, a thumb jabbed behind her, "Anyways, I gotta go,"

The redhead watched her disappear at the end of the aisle as she took a turn before he, too, headed off, but in the opposite direction.

**x x x**

With the last burger on the bun, Bryan turned off the stove and placed the pan in the sink. Kai set up the table with all the condiments. Dinner was served. Spencer took a massive bite out of his sandwich, mustard and ketchup staining his face instantly, Ian grabbed a few fries off the platter in the middle, and Tala used the edge of the table and his fist to take the cap off his beer bottle.

Bryan scowled, "I told you not to do -" He was interrupted as another cap went flying when Spencer opened his with one hand and two bottles, competition ensuing around the table as Kai used Ian's anti-virus CD, the latter using a pair of keys. Shaking his head and grumbling something under his breath, the lilac haired blader started with his dinner.

"So," Ian swallowed his bite before continuing, "There's a midnight screening of that movie we wanted to see," He looked around the table, "You guys wanna go?"

"I'm in," The cheerleader raised a hand, only to have it slapped away by Tala.

"Hell no," The captain rejected before his hand gestures to everyone's plates and utensils, "You have some dishes to clean up,"

"I actually don't mind if she comes," Ian shrugged earning narrowed eyes from the Ivanov's, both for different reasons, "I mean it'll give her an opportunity to see what Russia has to offer," His ruby eyes settled on the blonde, "So you can come and if you want, you can bring a friend,"

"Aw," The high schooler smiled as she pulled out a piece of pickle from her burger and bit half of it, "That's so sweet, Ian. I'll bring Vika,"

Tala had caught onto Ian's scheme when he first mentioned bringing a friend but it seemed as if the cheer captain had cleverly caught on too. The redhead stared at Ian subtly, cautioning him as if to say 'she knows, she knows, shut up'.

"Yeah..." Ian trailed off awkwardly feeling similar to a fish being circled by a shark, "Bring her along then,"

Dylan smirked, "I'll actually introduce you to her. I think you'll really like her,"

"Uh...it's okay, thanks,"

"You don't think she's cute?"

"I don't really care,"

"Is it because she's a bit on the heavy side? That's seriously shallow, Ian," Funny coming from her...

"No!" Ian exclaimed, "Forget it. You don't have to bring a friend if you don't want to, it was just a fucking suggestion,"

"You know you can tell me, right? I think you two would look really cute together. I mean I know she's a little plain looking, but at least she's a realistic option for you,"

"Realistic?" He repeated, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Okay, you're like totally cute and all so don't get me wrong, but you need to stay, like, within your league. Let's take someone like, say, hmm, I don't know, Mattie for example. You can't possibly think about going after someone like her, which I know you're not because that would just be absurd and you're a smart guy to know better,"

"She's not my type,"

"Exactly. Mattie is ass spankin' hot. Not that you aren't, but..." Dylan made a puppy face as if to sympathize, "Let's be real hun, someone like her is just too far out of your reach," As Tala glared daggers at her, she put a hand to her chest, "Like I'm not trying to be mean," She didn't have to try, "I'm just being honest, I don't want to see you get hurt,"

The indigo haired blader rolled his eyes, "Whatever,"

The cheerleader faked a smile, "So what time are we leaving for the movie?" They left a few hours after dinner, scoring incredible seats at the theatres: higher up and in the center. Previews for upcoming movies had just ended as Tala and Spencer returned with a shit load of popcorn, nachos, and carbonated drinks. Ian sat on one end followed by Spencer, then Tala, Bryan, and finally Kai, who wasn't as fortunate with his specific seating having Dylan on his right side. He brushed it off; what could she possibly do to bother him at a movie theatre? Well, it was Mr. Hiwatari's lucky day because he was going to find out.

It was roughly thirty or forty minutes into the film when he found her rubbing her chapstick all over the palm of her left hand. As strange as it was, he paid no heed to it. Then came the action. Not in the movie, but in real life. Kai jumped in his seat slightly when he felt her hand pulling at the waistband of his sweatpants.

What the fuck.

He swatted her hand away instantly but it creeped back, a game of tug of war resulting with the drawstrings. Bryan looked over once to see what all the movement was about and Kai froze immediately not wanting to give away to the rape that was about to take place. Alas, the open opportunity was enough for her hand to slide under his pants – and under his underpants – completely. The hunt for treasure was effortless and he flinched when her bare hand grabbed a hold of his bare...thing. He needed an entire moment just to register what the hell just happened and after realizing it wasn't a nightmare, but real, he tried to discreetly, um, _squirm_ her hand out of his pants. It did not go well, causing Bryan to glance over at him a second time.

If there was ever a time in Kai's life when he was shit scared, it had to be now. This horror ranked higher than Black Dranzer, Boris, the Abbey, and that time in the bush with Max.

Then it began, her firm grip moving from base to head at a snail's pace as if to tease him, the motion fluid from the chapstick. His body stiffened in mortification while junior below the belt stiffened for other reasons.

"Relax and enjoy the movie, Kai," She threw her jacket on his lap, her signature evil smirk gleaming like metal, "The best part is about to _come_," He tensed at the playful squeeze before she continued to jerk him off. Never had he ever been so violated. Nonetheless, he remained as still as possible to prevent anyone from finding out about the current event, his elbow resting on the shared armrest between him and her, the tip of his thumb resting on his bottom lip. But it wasn't as easy as she made it look, just sitting there with her eyes glued to the big screen. After all, he was the one being played with. He was aroused – against his will – and horrified all at once, a truly bizarre sensation. Lines were being crossed, especially those that should _never_ be crossed.

"_Stop_," He demanded in a whisper through gritted teeth, his fury multiplying at her refusal. There was no way he was going to let himself get to the 'best part' in public. In a fucking movie theatre. With Tala sitting less than a quarter of a meter away from him.

But it was when he noticed that perverted look on her face again – eyes intense and mouth kind of open like a porn star – he knew he already lost. It was impossible to fight it. He kind of didn't want to, especially not after witnessing how much pleasure she was taking in pleasuring him. So eager, enthusiastic, as if catering to his sexual needs was her career. It was fucking hot. The movie became the last thing on his mind and he found himself trying to picture her in that slutty cheerleader outfit, only in his mind it was ten times skimpier. He recalled the time she was in lingerie to get back at her brother, her tits almost popping out of that bra. He hadn't paid much attention to it back then but he wished he had. He thought about making out with her, kissing the crap out of each other. He imagined her naked, on the hood of his car, him fucking the goddamn living daylights out of her just like she'd described in her story of 'Slave Dylan' and 'Master Kai'.

And that really seemed to do it for him.

The fear of getting caught was still present in the back of his mind, scared to let it happen, but it was disproportionate to the pressure building up and all he could really think was 'dammit'. Just as a truck exploded in the movie before him, he exploded in his pants and probably all over her hand too. It was perfect timing, the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys and everyone else in the theatre too busy 'ooh'-ing and 'ahh'-ing and 'holy shit'-ing at Jason Statham's fiery scene.

Kai leaned back into the seat with his eyes lidded, and after the minute-long recovery, he glowered at the blonde for exploiting him. Mid sip from her Coke, she quirked a quizzical brow at his angry look, "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Nothing, just that he was going to strangle her when they got home tonight.

Not in the kinky way either.

* * *

**;) How many of you have done that (or something else) at the movies? **

**Thank you to...**

**Lazy Chick – **When you say iPod, do you mean iTouch? And it's so hard for me to picture it being winter anywhere during this time! We had a heat wave just two days ago, it hit 40-something degrees here, a great day for sluts and old men to walk around half naked! Does it snow in Australia? Also, this is probably a stupid question but is Australia considered a country or a continent? I'm under the assumption that it's a country, that's right, right? And the guy was a racist at McDonald's.

**Qiuyue – **The girl above you is from Australia too! We were just talking about the weather there haha. Oh, you met a Canadian! Was he from Toronto? I was reading an article about Japan about how they're so modern and then there are also parts where it's so traditional. I would love to go to Japan one day!

**Zeratheliger – **Haha! It makes me so excited when you're excited! Love it! I know the feeling though, when I'm reading something on here and there's an update...hallelujah! And are you done high school now? Like you'll be in college/university in Sept? If so, what will you be studying?

**Norweg91 – **Good friendship is very hard to find, especially if you're older. I'm 23 (24 in Sept! Ahh, so old!) and a lot of my friends from high school, we've drifted apart. My core group in high school consisted of 4 of us and we were all very, very, very different. I'll refer to them as K, H, and N. N and I really cherished the differences, it made us that much "cooler" for lack of words lol. H had major issues with that and when N noticed, she left the group. It was so hard to be with K and H and then with N because the group broke up. Then H had a problem with me b/c I wasn't "ladylike" enough (she went off about me and N doing tequila shots one time lol) and she brainwashed K and the two of them cut me off. They did it very randomly one day. I woke up and found out they'd taken me off Facebook. That was a little over a year ago, last March. I still don't know what happened. I bumped into K at an anniversary party just about three weeks ago, like LEGIT bumped into each other. We just stared at each other for a few seconds before avoiding each other. N and I are still friends, though she is now in a different city due to work. We still see each other whenever we can and she's a great friend that I hope never to lose! Haha, long note, sorry.

**50525 – **You'll see what Ray's up to soon! :D

**Sarcasm – **Look at you, smarty pants :P And everyone's good looking in the story! :D Emily was only doing that b/c she's a girl and she didn't want to hear perverted comments like that haha. And if you thought Kai and Dylan were close last chapter, then how do you feel about this one? LOL!

**Xxz0eyxx – **MichaelxOC story...nah, I'm not really into him as a character! Haha! And FB does that with me too. I'll get a message out of nowhere when it was really sent to me like ages ago!

**Peroxxide Priincess – **Yup, I've been all about adventure ever since he's been out of my life! :D I'm planning to go skydiving! Haha! My mom tells me if I die, she'll laugh lmao!

**Carlie Davidson – **She was psyho man! On another note, any other movie suggestions? You seem to have good picks!

**Sasukechica**

**SalinaH2 – **Hey you! How did you find "Not The End"? About Dylan and Evian...haha I keep picturing what would happen if they ever met! I think Dylan would probably break Evian emotionally while Evian could probably break Dylan _physically_ (given the training she's up to!). Scary thought!

**Rangerapprentice – **Thank you! :D I love adding little things in at the end, it makes me feel closer to you guys. I also like to hear everything from you guys too, its just so interesting and everyone's from a different country...so fucking cool! Where are you from?

**Kickstartmyhart – **MAJOR RELIEF! And that's why this story is going to be rated M now! Just to be safe! I hear a lot of stories have been getting deleted randomly :S

**xxxNightshadow – **To be honest with you...I have absolutely NO idea how long this story will be. I have a feeling it will be PRETTY long. I know exactly what's going to happen in this story, like the ending and everything, I just don't know how long it will be on paper. Haha, sorry if its too long!

**DGMSilverAirHead03**

**Watchoutfriendlyadvice – **Petition was signed!

**STORY IS GOING TO BE RATED MATURE FROM NOW ON! **

**STORY IS GOING TO BE RATED MATURE FROM NOW ON! **

**STORY IS GOING TO BE RATED MATURE FROM NOW ON! **


	53. Chapter Fifty Three

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

A virtual game of Sudoku on his iPhone kept the phoenix preoccupied while lying in bed. He was just about finished the round when he heard footsteps exiting from the Ivanovs' room, just what he had been waiting for. By now he had familiarized himself with the sibling's nightly snack routine. He was also able to differentiate between their footwork: Tala was a little reckless, his steps loud even at this time of night followed by a thud as he jumped off the third or fourth stair step to hit the ledge on the ceiling with his hand on the way down. But it was Dylan, her strides quiet and feminine, almost inaudible.

Exiting the gaming application, Kai withdrew from his mattress and quietly creeped out of his room and made his way downstairs. He found her in the kitchen, her back towards him as she stood by the counter with an obvious cup of milk and an open packet of Oreos lying close by.

She remained entirely unaware of his presence even as he stopped right behind her, practically an inch away. Maybe less. He was sly, the Abbey having taught him the trait expertly. Her hair had been pulled to one side, exposing her shoulder blades. Her night chemise was a satin material and hot pink in colour, cut too short and styled too 'sexy' to be wearing around in a house full of dicks.

Literally speaking.

Taking a deep breath, he blew on her hair. She jumped about ten feet into the air and her mouth was open, ready to give off a high pitched scream and wake up the entire continent. He clamped a hand over her mouth before it could happen, her back backed against his chest.

For a moment he wondered what would have happened if this was a real attack against her by an intruder. He doubted she'd be able to fight anyone off. She was very skinny in typical cheerleader form, though in a fit and healthy way. Her body reminded him of a straight road with a speed bump: thin all the way through and then _woop_, there they were, a decently sized chest and a small tight round chunk of meat for her behind. She was light weight, probably about 70 to 75 pounds lighter than himself he estimated, something he could pick up. And hold against a wall.

Finally she pulled his hand away and turned around, amusing Kai with her facial expression; he'd never seen her frightened before. Nonetheless, she regained her composure within seconds, her default persona kicking in, "Ah, looking for an excuse to feel me up, I see," She hopped onto the counter with a smirk, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Hn," He stood before her with his arms folded over his chest, "That's wishful thinking," He placed his hands firmly on the ledge of the counter, "I'm here to talk,"

"You? Talk?" She chuckled, "Are you dying, Kai?"

"Look. What you did at the movies was out of line,"

"It's hard to stay within the lines with a big fat marker," Her knee rubbed against his crotch, "Don't you think?" He spread her legs apart, situating himself in the middle only to frown when he felt her wrap them around him, "You look fucking hot when you're annoyed,"

"That's nice. Now listen up, this, it's over,"

She faked sorrow, her bottom lip pushed forward to portray such, "Are we breaking up?"

"Yes,"

"What a tragedy,"

"When it comes to Hilary, I don't need your help and I don't want your help. Are we clear on this matter?"

"Crystal,"

"Good. Now let go, I'm going back to bed,"

"Alright, Superman," With that, she twisted the Oreo cookie apart and licked the half with the cream suggestively, "Sweet dreams."

**x x x**

The booklet of about three or so pages, stapled together, fell on her desk upside down. Dylan grimaced as the teacher continued down the aisle of tables handing out the marked calculus tests from a week ago. She looked across the room, Luka mouthing a 'what'd you get?'. The corner of the test was lifted slightly and fearfully, a red inked grade of 49 percent visible along with a note:

_Parent/guardian signature required. _

What that really translated to was suicide. The blonde glanced over at the brunette with a shake of the head to signify she hadn't done well. The class was dismissed thereafter, the students shoving out of the doorway like animals.

"Mrs. Petrova?" It was when the room had emptied out that the Californian approached the instructor, "Can I talk to you?"

"Do it fast," The wiping of the chalkboard carried on, "I have to go,"

"I studied really hard for this test," Not really, "And you gave me a 49,"

"I did not give you 49, you give yourself 49," She looked over her shoulder, her rounded glasses lowered on the bridge of her nose, "If you study you do well, if you do not study, what you think?"

"But I did,"

"Not enough,"

"I failed just by one mark. Can you please at least bump me to a 50? I'm at risk of being kicked out of any extracurricular activities I'm in,"

"You get what you get, my mark is final. Now I have to go," Mrs. Petrova hastily collected her things before marching towards the door, "See you next class, Dylania,"

Luka, Edward, and Vika were waiting in the parking lot by the time the cheerleader exited the building, "Hurry up!" The other blonde whined, "We go for movie!"

"Actually you guys go ahead. I have to go home,"

"It was your plan to go out after school," Edward voiced.

"I know but I totally forgot that I had to go home because my parents are expecting call,"

Luka's face fell, "You are sure?"

"Yeah," The matter was waived off, "Go ahead. I'll see you guys tomorrow,"

The three nodded and while the rusty Toyota raced out of the parking lot, she began her walk home. A detour was made on a random bench on the street. The seat was cold – it froze her butt. Small stores littered either sides of the street, some of them coffee shops, pastries, restaurants, and gift shops. There was a line up of people a few feet away, all of them carrying luggages. A bus approached soon after. The first passenger held up a piece of paper – a ticket – as he boarded with his suitcase, the others following.

For a moment her mind wandered off in an attempt to picture possible scenarios. She could go home and have Tala sign her test, only to be grounded afterwards for failing. She could go home and _not_ have Tala sign her test, which would earn her a phone call home from school and then Tala would find out and ground her anyway. Either way, the threat of being kicked off the team was still looming. But none of those amounted to the fact that going back home was completely out of question at this point.

The American stood up and searched her pocket and wallet for change. It came to a few dollars. With the money in hand, she scanned her surroundings before jogging towards the bus. Just in the nick of time, she stood behind the last passenger preparing to get inside. There was writing on the digital panel that changed every few seconds, but she was unable to decipher. She surmised the message portrayed the location and route.

A honk of a car ripped through the air followed by her name, "Dylan!" The black Benz, parked a few cars behind the bus, was spotted as was the driver's head poking out of the window. His dual coloured hair was unmistakable along with his face. Alden held out his hand as if to tell her to hold on before he drove closer, attempting to park behind the bus itself, "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"Getting on the bus,"

"You are going to St. Petersburg?"

"...yeah,"

"Alone? By yourself?" Alden raised a brow, "Does Tala know this?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting him there. He took the early bus,"

"That is impossible. I just came from your house; your brother opened the door," Booked, "Dylan, get in the car," The order was obeyed as the blonde took a seat, her pink backpack sitting on her lap, "What are you doing?"

"I was just going out,"

"With who?" She shrugged at the enquiry, "Did you tell your parents?" Her head shook in decline, "Are you okay?"

"Are you gonna tell my brother?"

"No,"

"Because I'll get in trouble if you do,"

"I will not tell him," He began driving, swerving away from the back of the bus and stopping at the red lights ahead, "You want to talk, Dylan?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'll get in trouble for that too,"

"We will not talk about Kai today," The driving began again, "We will talk about you today,"

"There's nothing to talk about, I just wanna go home,"

"Okay, I can drop you off at -"

"No, I meant home as in L.A., like to my parents and stuff,"

"Ah, I see," He nodded, "I don't know if I can help you with that,"

"I don't think my parents want me back,"

He chuckled, "That is the most ridiculous thing. Of course they want you back. You are their child,"

"Then why the hell would they send me here? I didn't do anything to them. They just got rid of me like I was something they can refund at a store,"

"It's not easy to be a parent, you know Dylan? We will always want the best for you and the funny thing is most of the time you will take it another way, but we still do it because we know in the end it will be for your benefit and that is all that matters,"

"I don't really get how it's my benefit by being in some random country where it's really cold and living with my brother and his friends and going to school where nobody speaks English,"

"Maybe you don't know now but you will know later. So, are you hungry?"

Her shoulders moved up and down, "I guess a little,"

"Will your brother be worried about where you are?"

"Nah, I told him I was going to the movies after school,"

"Okay," Alden offered a light laugh, "I know a very good place,"

This 'good place' ended up being a home. A _really_ big home. It was definitely larger than her parent's property in California which was already considered to be large by the standard and lifestyle of the west coast. The car pulled into the driveway and came to a halt. They stepped out, Dylan holding onto her backpack by one strap, her toque with another as she looked upward at the home, "Do you live here all by yourself?"

"Yes, myself," He confirmed and walked up the steps, the cheerleader following closely behind. The door was opened with the slide of a card, not a key, granting them entrance. Inside, there was tons of open space and the home was spotless, her sock-clad feet just gliding on the wooden floors. There was another man in the house, introduced as Viktor, the housekeeper. While a meal was being prepared, Alden urged her to continue following him around, "This is the living room," He stated as they walked by the vacant room made up of couches and chairs, even a modernized fireplace. The kitchen was pointed out along with the dining area. The stairs were taken to the second floor, "This is the library,"

"You have a library in your house?" She strolled in after him staring at the stacks of books on both sides of the walls. A book with a bookmark sitting on the small round table by a chair was picked up.

"That one is very good," Alden praised, "It's about the –"

"– universe," She finished, "Kai is reading the same book. I saw it in his room,"

"Really? He is also reading this?"

"Yeah," There was a small smile on her part as the book was placed back on the table, the gesture reciprocated by the 36 year old. An office was shown next – the table was messy, full of papers and files, but the rest of the room was rather tidy.

"This one is my room," He pushed open another door, "And that is basically it,"

She nodded, "Pretty cool," Her eyes wandered to the room with the door slightly ajar next to Alden's, "Who stays there?"

"Nobody," He sighed. The palm of his hand connected with the wooden door, pushing it open further to reveal a room that was more...adolescent. All the furniture in the room – a desk, shelf, and the bed frame – were deep oak wood. The walls were painted pale blue. While no one inhabited the room, according to Alden, the bed was still made, the bedding in all shades of blue. A basketball sat in the middle of the room atop the beige carpeting. There were a few figures made out of Lego on the shelves alongside old school Nintendo games. "This used to be Kai's room,"

Both her brows rose, her mouth parting slightly into an 'O' to express her obvious surprise sans words. Words just wouldn't cut it, to be honest. Seeing Kai's room from when he was a kid was kind of like seeing into his past. It was hard and strange to picture the now-asshole as an actual child or tween. The fascination of his old room seemed to rank higher than the fascination in his pants.

"I still keep it like this in case he ever wants to come back," Alden said, "But I don't think he will come back," Then his emerald eyes settled on her, "How is his room now?"

"It's...nice," She shrugged, "Just like a normal guy's room. More mature looking, I guess,"

"He keeps it clean?"

"Yeah, he's usually tidy," The opportunity was taken to provide the longing father with a bit more detail into his estranged child's life, "He likes to read sometimes, watch stuff on YouTube, and he plays a lot of video games. Sometimes he goes out with his friends, like Tyson and them," But he didn't need to know what they did during their outings – she didn't think Alden would approve of his son going out every now and then and getting high with his buds, "He goes to the gym three times a week. That's pretty much it. Kai's a very quiet person – he keeps to himself and he doesn't bother anyone,"

"Yes, that sounds like him," He agreed and guided her back to the living room, "So Dylan, tell me, why were you trying to go to St. Petersburg today?"

"Oh," She grinned sheepishly, "I don't know, I was just being dumb. I thought if I left then Tala wouldn't have to sign my calculus test. He'll literally kill me if he sees it," She plopped down on the couch and fiddled with a cushion, "And I don't want to be stuck in grade 12 all over again,"

"Where is your test? Let me take a look,"

She didn't seem very comfortable with the idea, her nose wrinkling to illustrate this, "I didn't do very good..."

"That's okay," The crinkled test was pulled out of her backpack and handed over. However, it wasn't scrutinized. Instead, a pen was brought out. Soon Alden's signature became visible from where she sat, "There. Now it's signed. I also included my phone number in case your teacher calls,"

"Wow, thanks," She gained possession of the test again, staring at his signature unconsciously. Then, "Alden?"

"Yes, Dylan,"

"I know a way you might be able to talk to Kai..."

"What?"

"Remember how I told you he goes to the gym?" She jogged his memory, "I know which days he goes, what time he goes, and what time he comes back. I know where the gym is, too. He usually goes by himself or with Ray or my brother, but when he goes alone I can call you now that I have your number and let you know. You might be able to catch him then."

**x x x**

Hanging upside down on the sofa in boredom, Tala flipped the channels on TV. He paused at an old episode of _Beavis and Butthead_ before he felt his phone vibrate on the coffee table before him. He reached for it in his awkward position like a moron, the continuous vibration of the Blackberry mocking him in response.

A little further, almost, aha!

"Hello?" He answered quickly without checking the caller ID, though he assumed it was Julia.

"Hey man," But it wasn't Julia, "What's good?"

"Just watching TV," The captain of the Blitzkrieg Boys was surprised to find Ray on the other end of the line, "What's up?"

"We're going out for wings and pool, you coming?"

"Who's 'we'?"

"Well Kai's coming too,"

"Oh," Tala sat up straight, "I guess, yeah, sure,"

"Alright cool, we'll meet you there! Coordinate with Kai, okay?"

"Sure, see you there,"

"Peace!"

Telling Kai that he'd been invited to hang out with the ex Bladebreakers had earned a priceless look from the phoenix, one Tala wished he'd captured on camera to post on Facebook. Alas, it had happened too fast. They took the Beamer, some deadmau5 in the background. The ride was approximately fifteen minutes in length and as they entered the bar, the redhead grinned, slapping his teammate on the arm, "Hey, Hilary's here,"

Kai wasn't too surprised; Hilary had earned the right to hang out with the ex Bladebreakers and having her join them from time to time wasn't anything new. What _was_ new, however, was Mariah who was only visible once they came up real close to the table.

* * *

**I AM SORRY! **Actually I'm more embarrassed, really. I worked on this chapter EVERY single day since the last update and I know that sounds like a lie considering the last update was 6 months ago. This chapter just wasn't moving and/or flowing. Also, it was supposed to be longer but I decided an update at this point took precedence over the length of this chapter. So, there you have it. And **NO**, my next update will not be so fucking ridiculously delayed. I promise.

**FOR THOSE WHO ARE CURIOUS...**I have been doing very well! Here is a recap. In August my manager hired a new girl at work – she was his relative. She was a fucking bitch from the start and on her 3rd day of working, $1, 091 went missing from the till. Of course with her being the relative, the manager blamed me even though I didn't work the shift that night. When I told him I had nothing to do with it and that he could check the cameras in the store, his response was "Find it or it's coming out of your pay". So I called the cops while I was in the store and walked out of that mess, not having to pay a fucking penny. I also quit the same day. But, the very next day I got a ridiculous government job offer.

_Yeah_.

I have no idea how I got it. The fact that this happened the very next day was just...holy shit. The pay was out of this world, I couldn't even imagine that amount of money in my dreams and neither could my parents. So I went for the interview. I was 15 minutes late. On top of that, my reference ended up saying a lot of shit about me too. I thought I lost this opportunity right there. 3 hours after my interview, I get a call saying I was hired. Don't ask me how. I have no fucking idea.

So...120 people got hired and it was a contract job, with the company looking to hire only 10 from the 120. I was late 13 times in the job during my 4 month contract. I got called into the manager's office twice about my lates. Within the 4 months people had been getting fired and I knew I'd be getting fired soon too. I knew I'd never make the cut for the 10 they were going to hire either.

Meanwhile, I don't know if any of you remember (it was written in an AN for my other story Dirty Little Secret), but I got kicked out of university in December 2009. I decided to re-apply this year, knowing they wouldn't take me back.

Back to the job. There was this other girl who got hired with me who kept telling me that I'd never get the job because I sucked. She always scared and insulted the hell out of me. The day the contract ended, I get pulled into the boss's office and I knew he was probably wishing me farewell. Suddenly, he smiles and holds out his hand for a shake and says, "Welcome to the team. You're permanently hired".

My _fucking _God.

I sat there like a moron for a good minute or two, wide-eyed, and staring at him like what the fuck? I was one of the 10 out of the 120? At the same time, I get a call from my university: "We offer you readmission to the university. You may continue to pursue your Bachelor of Commerce this January". I got this call while I was at work. I started crying. Like bawling my fucking eyes. Mascara and eyeliner everywhere. I've never cried out of happiness – this was the first time. I know it may seem like a dumb thing to be happy about, but my university education is REALLY important to me. It's the pedestal to my future career.

As great a job as I have right now, I think I'm going to let it go and continue my university.

2012 has been the greatest year in my entire fucking life. You have no idea.

Oh, and by the way, the girl that was always up my ass about me not getting the job? She didn't make it lol.

**PLEASE REVIEW! AND PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU HAVE BEEN! LOVE YOU ALL! MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

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